St. Teresa Church in Brooklyn with Dangerous Storm Damage

That didn't take long.

(photos: Jason Scott Jones)

I was headed on bike to the bar to administer my cabin fever and I half considered doing some "Storm Surveying" post Hurricane Sandy.

After two blocks I saw the metal facade had been torn from St. Teresa of Avila Church on Classon Av and Sterling Place in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (I know some folks insist it's Prospect Heights now but despite what googlemaps says, Washington Avenue is the boarder and where I stop tolerating real estate delusions).

I know the church well having attended it as a kid. It's part of the Catholic Diocese and it's towers were built in 1905. I've seen it take hits from storms, usually blizzards back in the day, but this is the most extensive damage I've seen the church endure in 30 years.

The street below is taped off but otherwise there isnt much way to know that the facade is dangling dangerously overhead so be careful if you're in the area.

Update 10/31/12 Councilmember Letitia (Tish) James has exressed that she's aware of the situation and it is being addressed, the street may be closed to avoid potential danger.

PhotoWed! 12/02/09 : Borough of (Vanishing) Churches Edition

If memory serves there was a piece in the Ken Burns documentary "New York" that describes the rivalry between Brooklyn and Manhattan. In that segment, Brooklynites as far back as the 19th century would boast of the many classic houses of worship the borough had to offer, calling Brooklyn the "Borough of Churches" as a means of highlighting the greatness of the place. Bitter Manhattanites of the era were said to retort, that's cause "Brooklyn's a great place to die!"

Well these days it seems the churches are the ones that're fading.

Today's photo Wednesday comes from the Clinton Hill / Prospect Heights border where sits a church on Pacific between Vanderbilt and Underhill, that one of my aunts has warm and spooky stories about.



There's more story than that but suffice to say it seems the church is coming down steeple by steeple if my photo shows true.

Anybody know more?

After 146 Years, Brooklyn Convent to Close [NYT]

Long time New York reporter David Gonzales has the story of The Sister's of Mercy, whose building will close after 146 years.

(Photo: James Estrin/The New York Times)

The building whose interior is shown in the picture above from the times is on Willoughby Av. in Fort Greene.