Demolition

THE CITY'S Historical Commission on Friday allowed a permit to demolish the historic Church of the Assumption to stand, even though the building has a new owner. "This commission unanimously found that the permit does apply to the current owner and is not subject to the ownership of the building but the building itself," said commission chairman Sam Sherman, after a closed-door executive meeting. The city's Board of Licenses and Inspection Review had asked the commission to provide its opinion on whether the permit was valid under the new owner, developer John Wei. Wei bought the 164-year-old Gothic church, which has historical ties to Catholic saints John Neumann and Katherine Drexel, from a nonprofit for $1.12 million.

There was no water at the well of the Philadelphia Historical Commission for those trying to stop the demolition of the historic, double-spired Church of the Assumption on Spring Garden Street. On Friday, the commission went into executive session and issued an opinion that the demolition permit approved for the previous owner, the nonprofit Siloam, remains valid for the new owners, developers John Wei and Mika He. The Patrick Keeley-designed, 1849 brownstone-and-copper church, where St. Katharine Drexel was baptized, seemed closer than ever to the wrecking ball.

A 14-year battle over the fate of a modern structure at the heart of Gettysburg National Military Park is over. The National Park Service said Thursday that it would begin demolishing the Cyclorama building as soon as February, clearing the site ahead of the 150th anniversary commemoration of the battle. The site will be restored to its 1863 appearance, complete with a period apple orchard and replicas of the wood fences that once crisscrossed the fields, park spokeswoman Katie Lawhon said.

There was no water at the well of the Philadelphia Historical Commission for those trying to stop the demolition of the historic double-spired Church of the Assumption on Spring Garden Street. On Friday, the Commission went into executive session and then issued an opinion that the demotion permit approved for the previous owner, the non-profit Siloam, remains valid for the new owners, commercial developers John Wei and Mika He. The Patrick Keeley-designed 1849 brownstone and copper Church where St. Katherine Drexel was baptized seemed closer than ever to the wrecking ball.

The imperiled Church of the Assumption on Spring Garden Street received another reprieve Tuesday afternoon, but the ultimate threat of demolition seemed to sharpen after a hearing before the city's License and Inspection Review Board. The five-member board kept in place its ruling that froze the demolition permit of the historic church where St. Katharine Drexel was baptized and St. John Neumann administered confirmations. The board then sent the case to the Historical Commission for its opinion on issues raised Tuesday.

TUESDAY COULD BE Judgment Day for the historic Church of the Assumption. The city's Board of Licenses & Inspections Review will hold a hearing on a demolition permit at 3 p.m. Last month, the board granted a temporary stay of a demolition permit issued by L&I in November to the current owner, apartment developer John Wei. Last July, Wei's investment firm paid $1.12 million for the 164-year-old Gothic church, on Spring Garden Street near 11th,...

Let's face it, historic buildings get torn down all the time in Philadelphia, a city with more fine architecture than anyone knows what to do with. But not many of the casualties are under the special protection of the city's Historical Commission. That's what makes the threatened demolition of the Church of the Assumption so troubling. In 2009, the future of the North Philadelphia landmark looked, if not exactly rosy, then quite hopeful. The 19th-century church where the Catholic saint Katharine Drexel was baptized had just earned a place on the commission's selective Historic Register, the strongest safeguard against demolition.

Even as a demolition contractor hovered around the historic Church of the Assumption wondering about bidding for the job, a city agency issued a temporary reprieve for the Spring Garden Street landmark. It was not quite the salvation for the church linked to two of Philadelphia's Catholic saints - it will take more than a temporary stay to avert its demise - but the city's Licenses and Inspection Review Board on Tuesday froze the demolition permit pending a Jan. 8 hearing. The ruling left neighbors hopeful of finding a new buyer to preserve the 1849, Patrick Keeley-designed brownstone church with distinctive twin copper-dipped spires, and left the current owner frustrated by further delays.

Even as a demolition contractor hovered around the historic Church of the Assumption wondering about bidding for the job, a city agency issued a temporary reprieve for the Spring Garden Street landmark. It was not quite the salvation for the church linked to two of Philadelphia's Catholic saints - it will take more than a temporary stay to avert its demise - but the city's Licenses and Inspection Review Board on Tuesday froze the demolition permit pending a Jan. 8 hearing. The ruling left neighbors hopeful of finding a new buyer to preserve the 1849, Patrick Keeley-designed brownstone church with distinctive twin copper-dipped spires, and left the current owner frustrated by further delays.