Almost two months ago, we told you that St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, located at 3rd & Reed, would soon be demolished. The church closed down a few months ago, and the lovely building which dates back over 120 years is indeed in the process of being torn down.

In the past

Last week

As you may recall, twelve town homes will soon rise in this location, replacing a House of God with houses of granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. We can certainly understand the market dynamics that lead to gorgeous buildings like this being torn down instead of being creatively reused by developers, but that doesn’t make the destruction of this building an easier pill to swallow.

Getting closer. It was (predictably) very dusty, despite the efforts of the demo crew to hose things down

The claw at work

Again

So much rubble

Within weeks, whatever remains of the church will be gone. In the coming years, the new homes will rise, with some of the new residents perhaps unaware of what stood here previously. As the decades pass, the memory of the church will fade, with only a few neighborhood old-timers remembering the handsome building that once stood on the corner of 3rd & Reed. Ah, but isn’t that how it always works, in this ever-changing city we call home? Things change, time passes, and just about everyone forgets.

But when Naked Philly celebrates our 30th anniversary (in 27 years!), at least you’ll be able to look back on our archives and try to do a little remembering.