The church in 1972. (Source: Heritage/St. Louis Collection, Landmarks Association of St. Louis)

LOCATION: Northeast corner, Spring and Washington Avenues; Midtown; Saint Louis, Missouri
DATE OF CONSTRUCTION: 1893
OTHER NAMES: St. John's Church
DATES OF ABANDONMENT: 2001 - 2004
OWNER: Grand Center, Inc. (since 2002)

A bolt of lightning struck the National Memorial Church of God in Christ in March 2001, and the church burned. The church building was originally used by a congregation of Swedenborgians. As the impoverished congregation collected funds to rebuild the historic building, its shell sat in Midtown containing the charred debris of the church roof, pews and altar. Eventually, Grand Center, Incorporated bought the building for conversion to an urban sculpture garden. In late 2003, construction crews removed the debris and began renovation. Yet after initally filling the basement with gravel in spring 2004, the crews stopped work.

Some photos of the church immediately after the fire appear in The Commonspace: River City Phoenix, by Meg Studler.

Photographs from January 2004

Photographs from April 2004

Photographs from September 28, 2004