St. Bonaventure Roman Catholic Church
The interior of the abandoned St. Bonaventure Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia during demolition
Updated June 22, 2022 | By Matthew Christopher
The St. Bonaventure Roman Catholic Church in the Fairhill neighborhood of Philadelphia was designed in 1894 by Edwin Forrest Durang, who built over 100 ecclesiastical structures in a typically Roman Baroque style. Fairhill's large population of German Catholic immigrants had been drawn there by the prospect of work at the myriad of industries in the area, which included iron foundries, soap and textile factories, lumber and coal yards, and a coffin factory among others; some were also fleeing persecution of Catholics in Germany at the time. A University of Pennsylvania report stated one of the reasons for the foundation of the St. Bonaventura parish was because a member of the neighborhood "had tired of traveling to the German parish of St. Boniface on Norris Square, twelve blocks to the east of his home."
Named after a 13th century philosopher known as the "Seraphic Doctor", the Gothic church that would serve their parish took twelve years to complete due to limited resources. It was a difficult project that required a tremendous degree of perseverance, sacrifice, and hard work by members of the neighborhood, with many of the architectural features either directly imported from Germany or created by German craftsmen in the area. Marble wainscoting, two story marbleized columns, and gold leaf stenciling adorned the interior, and the Munich Pictorial Style stained glass windows were produced by highly regarded companies in Philadelphia, Dusseldorf, and Austria.
Looking up the clock tower of St. Bonaventure Church during demolition
The eighteen story clock tower topped with a gilded cross was one of the most notable architectural features of the neighborhood, which also boasted the late 17th century Quaker cemetery where Lucretia Mott was buried a half block away. Ethnic segregation at the churches was a factor for many years; the Irish Catholics were directed to St. Edward's parish, and at 7 AM every morning German Mass was held.
In the period following World War II many of the European settlers left the area, replaced by an African American population moving to the area in part because of redlining and a Puerto Rican population who migrated to work in area sugar, tobacco, and cigar companies. The industrial base of the area eroded significantly, taking a heavy toll on the area's economy. Violence and crime were major problems from the 1970s to 1990s, placing it squarely within the area of Philadelphia that came to be known as "The Badlands." The church's first Spanish Mass was held in 1975; by the 1990s the German population had almost entirely moved to other areas.
St. Bonaventure was closed in 1993 along with many other north Philadelphia churches in lower income neighborhoods. It was later sold to New Life Evangelistic Church, who left it vacant for years with what appeared to be very little effort to maintain the building. During this period the copper roof was partially stripped and thieves stole windows, water pipes, and other items. In 2013 the Department of Licensing and Inspections deemed the steeple in imminent danger of collapsing after visiting it following complaints about slate shingles falling from the roof during Hurricane Sandy. While Rev. Carswell Jackson was quoted an estimate of $77,000 to stabilize the steeple, L&I opted instead to spend approximately $1 million of taxpayer money to tear down what was widely considered the most significant remaining architectural feature of the neighborhood.
After years of trying to photograph St. Bonaventure, at least I got to see 2/3 of it.
I had tried for six years with no success to find a way to photograph the church. The owners were impossible to contact and seemingly never at the property. When I finally got there, most of the apse and transept had were shredded by a demolition company. It was a sickening sight. I truly wish that people would stop viewing cathedrals (and, by extension, all faith-related structures) as symbols of religious doctrine that they either agree or disagree with, and thus dictate their value by. Instead, regardless of one's beliefs, it is vital that we see them for the effort and artistry in their construction, and for the irreplaceable collection of cultural and historical artifacts they frequently contain.
The destruction of a true work of art is never something to revel in, in my opinion. The erasure of a beautiful cathedral like St. Bonaventure is a tragedy for all. It represents the worst and most wasteful theft of all, that in which something that was of incalculable value is taken and then senselessly destroyed. It was a situation that the city created by allowing New Life Evangelistic Church let St. Bonaventure fall into ruin. Rather than rectify their mistake they tore enormous hole both literally and figuratively in the community, leaving what will likely become a trash strewn lot akin to the one that occupies the space where Transfiguration used to be.
A big thank you to Philadelphia Salvage for making this visit possible!
St. Bonaventure is a chapter in my book, Abandoned America: Age of Consequences.
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