But the church did not make it to 200 years old.
According to David Easton, Archivist of the Furness Vale History Society, "The Methodist Chapel in Furness Vale played an important role in the community and for a long time was very well supported. Sadly it closed about 10 or 12 years ago. They were required to provide access for disabled people, which given the design of the building would have been very expensive. Limited funds and an ageing congregation meant that the Chapel was at the end of its life. The congregation joined the Anglican Church and the building was sold. It was converted into apartments but not very successfully as some have always remained unsold."
What a sad commentary on our society today--and I am afraid happening in many communities both in the UK and in America. Regulations that have no conscience and people with no common sense who administer them, that ring the death toll for small, historic, or sacred buildings and the people who care about them.
1912 was a memorable year in Britain-- coal miners were on strike, suffragettes were marching on London and other places in an effort to get the vote, and the country was two short years away from the start of World War I.
And the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912.
The titanic hit an iceberg and the United Methodist Church of Furness Vale hit a wall of regulation.
The cup is returning home. We are sending the lovely little piece back to Furness Vale--to put in a museum or archive, or to be given to a local resident who remembers the sweet old church when it was a church.
Beth,
ReplyDeleteNo historic building should have to succumb to regulations that force it out of existence. It is just wrong. I wonder if there were some other politics going on there. I used to use Oxford (500 years old) as an example for why the tearing down of a school where I worked should be stopped. If a university like that can hold classes in buildings that are 500 years old, that should say something. It doesn't make any sense to tear down a building that has the quality construction materials and joining techniques of earlier eras and replace it (at a higher cost) with the lousy building materials of today. To say nothing of what they look like. I really believe that some people have forgotten how to think. Like you said, where is the common sense?
Great post....that got me going on a subject close to my heart!
Thanks again for your comments Ginene. I will have a follow up post on all of this. I am so glad I contacted the history society. I have GOT to get up to your shop and we can talk in person.
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