This beautiful building has been vacant most of the time we’ve lived in Corydon. I understand the roof is a shambles and the interior is a wreck. I think it was the NAAPA store for a while, which would explain the spark plug sign on the steeple.
I know of two people who tried to fix it up, one for a gift shop and one for an entertainment venue.
The front door has been modernized, to the detriment of the looks of the front.
UB stands for United Bretheren. The United Brethren were one of the first — maybe THE first — denomination established in the United States — in 1767. There was a split in 1889, with the Liberals eventually joining with the Methodists in 1968. The Radicals, led by the father of Wilbur and Orville Wright, is still going. But not in this building.
Another early denomination is the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), another church that has split and recombined, with different factions growing in different directions. I believe the Corydon Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) — established in 1833 — met in the United Brethren building for a time.
ANYWAY, this poor old building is the worse for wear. Here’s a side door.
And the other side door.
And the back door.
I love this building. It sure could use some TLC, and more money than I’ll ever have.
This is part of Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors link-up. Hop on over and click on the little blue froggy link to see who else is participating.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Write about a derelict building.
MA
Joey
July 7, 2016 at 9:18amHm. I like the second worse-for-wear door, I do. Course, the whole building is lovely, and 1912. Too many of these, too much of this. There’s one here I keep reading about, no one wants to see it torn down, but no one wants to spend money to keep it either. Too much of this. How do they do it in other, older parts of the world? Kind of a thing with me, irks me. But as I said, lovely building.
Marian Allen
July 7, 2016 at 10:32amI think that in older parts of the world, 1912 is a new building. heh! I haven’t been inside this building, so I don’t know how much, if any, of the interior could be salvaged. It would probably take more time and money than building a new structure, so fixing it up would have to be a labor of love and excess capital. I still haven’t uncrossed my fingers for it. It could happen.
norm 2.0
July 7, 2016 at 11:39amDefinitely in need of some TLC but it does have lots of potential.
Around here unfortunately the only successful re-purposing of churches we see is done by condo developers 🙁
Marian Allen
July 7, 2016 at 1:28pmThe church I went to growing up closed due to dwindling membership, but it’s now a church of a different denomination. That makes me very happy, seeing it still in use.
jan
July 7, 2016 at 4:48pmYeah a little TLC might work wonders. Interesting story about the United Brethren! Thanks!
Marian Allen
July 7, 2016 at 6:16pmI didn’t know about them until I researched them for this post. One of the many reasons I love Thursday Doors!
Dan Antion
July 7, 2016 at 6:16pmIt’s sad to see such a beautiful building fall into disrepair. I hope someone buys it. Even repurposed is better then rotted and condemned.
Marian Allen
July 7, 2016 at 6:25pmAnother old building was repurposed as a coffee house popular among the young and young-at-heart, but it burned down. 🙁
Jean Reinhardt
July 7, 2016 at 7:07pmIt’s a lovely old building, deserves a bit of TLC, alright.
Jane
July 8, 2016 at 9:37amThe older buildings made of brick look good til the end. And speaking of brickwork, it’s always superb in the old buildings, bricks laid by professional brick layers, not guys on a deadline who do bricks occasionally. Such a big diff.
Oh, and speaking of Masons…..
Marian Allen
July 8, 2016 at 1:55pmIt sure does make a difference. Quality brickwork is a thing of beauty.