Many of Vergara's churches exist where most people fear to tread. Spotted this one on Sycamore Street, just East of Sherman last weekend.
The building sits by itself, pretty much alone on the urban prairie. The only church I've ever photographed that doesn't have a single front window. I've photographed about 40 of these churches so far and this the Church of the Living God is the one that I find myself most attracted to. It's bleak. And I find myself rather curious to know who might be showing up for worship because. It seems so remote.
This church is just a block away from where a tragedy occurred earlier this year that I covered in - Buffalo's Death Row. Some readers have tried to convince me that abandoned, partially boarded, derelict and vacant houses pose about as much threat to public safety as parking lots do. Thinking is that people get killed in parking lots, so why should an abandoned house receive any special consideration. Really disagree.
I remember the people I met here and who lived in this neighborhood were really chatty and unusually friendly depite my appearance, atleast according to some that I look like 5-0. These folks kept wanting to explain how "they" should be doing this...and how "they" should be cleaning this up. Who knows. Maybe they'd given up. Don't know. Just tried to take it all in as I slipped down the alley to photograph the door that was still open. Couldn't look inside. It was still open last weekend four month's after Yvonne's death.
From a few blocks further East the ruins of the 100 year old Transfiguration Church cast a long shadow over this neighborhood, too. I'll be picking up on this theme where small and obviously struggling places - where the other half worships - exist along side larger and more prominent places we call Churches.
This church is just a block away from where a tragedy occurred earlier this year that I covered in - Buffalo's Death Row. Some readers have tried to convince me that abandoned, partially boarded, derelict and vacant houses pose about as much threat to public safety as parking lots do. Thinking is that people get killed in parking lots, so why should an abandoned house receive any special consideration. Really disagree.
I remember the people I met here and who lived in this neighborhood were really chatty and unusually friendly depite my appearance, atleast according to some that I look like 5-0. These folks kept wanting to explain how "they" should be doing this...and how "they" should be cleaning this up. Who knows. Maybe they'd given up. Don't know. Just tried to take it all in as I slipped down the alley to photograph the door that was still open. Couldn't look inside. It was still open last weekend four month's after Yvonne's death.
From a few blocks further East the ruins of the 100 year old Transfiguration Church cast a long shadow over this neighborhood, too. I'll be picking up on this theme where small and obviously struggling places - where the other half worships - exist along side larger and more prominent places we call Churches.
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Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006 • faq • my flickr
buffalo olmsted parks conservancy
Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006 • faq • my flickr
buffalo olmsted parks conservancy
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