I'm not real sure how many 1920's bungalows, four-squares, and Queen Anne houses have been demolished over the years by Greensboro's First Presbyterian Church, but I know it is a bunch - and now they are at it again - and again the reason cited by the church is the need for more close-in parking lots.
According to an article in this month's Fisher Park neighborhood newsletter (PDF file, p5), the church is once again proving itself to be insensitive to any preservation efforts except for one: if they allow the bulldozers to level another historic property in Fisher Park, they will preserve their legacy as one of Greensboro's most notorious historic home wreckers. Fisher Park residents have been issued a call to arms in order to explore ways to save yet another old house on North Elm from the church's seemingly insatiable hunger for asphalt. From the article...
"First Presbyterian Church again seeks more parking spaces and intends to submit a request to Greensboro's Historic Preservation Commission to demolish the house/office at 620 North Elm Street and replace it with another paved parking lot. ...Creative alternatives can save this house. Hundreds of free, unused parking spaces nearby, in the School Board lots and Smith Street deck are easily walkable and a quick shuttle ride..."
The newletter article goes on to suggest several other options to save the structure then concludes with this appeal...
"Whatever the choices, this project requires a significant effort to envision and plan alternatives to simple destruction for yet another asphalt parking lot..."
First Pres's website shows how much available parking they have already.
I suggest Greensboro's First Presbyterian Church might want to consider moving their wonderful sanctuary to some cornfield out in the county. Only then will they have enough land to build surface parking lots ample enough so their congregation can all park at the front door. Only then will they finally stop targeting historic Fisher Park houses for demolition so their congregation won't use inconvenient parking as an excuse for not coming to church. Only then will the sanctity of Greensboro's architectural heritage be safe from a church that continues to value parking spaces over preservation.
8:21:39 AM 
|
