City Church

City Methodist Church

Losing My Religion

Gary, Indiana2010

Gary Indiana, like many other 'Rust Belt' cities, suffered greatly with the loss of steel and other manufacturers in the 1960s. The population of Gary plummeted from 175,000+ in 1960 to under 100,000 today. As a result, vast swaths of the city have been abandoned. Homes, businesses and even churches have been left to rot. The City Methodist Church is one of the most striking examples, built in 1925 and partially funded by the U.S. Steel, it was home to over 3,000 parishioners and had a school, auditorium and gymnasium. As members moved away, the church no longer could support itself with only 100 members, and closed it's doors in the early 1970s. The building was only 50 years old and stood relatively per served until 1997, when fire damaged the rectory and increased deterioration has followed. Severe water damage had destroyed part of the north wall, the roof, and saturated the entire structure. The building is an amazing relic and has surprisingly little vandalism, but is too far gone to be saved.

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