This church was a bit of a mystery to me when I found it back in 2021. The Church of Saint John the Baptist Episcopal is located on a pleasant street in Dunkirk, New York. I stumbled upon it while exploring the area around Jamestown in 2021.
I had gone to Jamestown for the Lucille Ball attractions and was out planning to see other things including a statue to the native son who created comic strip canine Marmaduke.
The slate roof of the church drew me right in and down Fourth Street for a closer look.
The front doors are gorgeous and inviting, adorned with festive Easter wreaths.
And yet, look up to find a broken window directly above the doors. Did they not know the window had been broken?
The church seemed well cared for with its pretty wreaths and some nicely tended spring bulbs in the side yard. They had Easter services just a couple of weeks before my visit. Surely someone would have been by to notice and at least board up the window.
I’m dying to known what’s going on there now but their Facebook page hasn’t been updated in over a year. I’ll have to cruise by if I’m ever in the neighborhood. Then again, maybe I’m better off not knowing. I may not like the answer.
Grand old churches like this one are at risk in towns and neighborhoods across the nation. Between growing maintenance and operations costs, aging congregations and the lure of big churches with community center type facilities, it’s hard for a simple House of the Lord to keep going. I see them all the time empty, run down, and often sold for cheap housing. It’s a sad fate but a very real one.
This church reminded me of a sweet old grandmother with a lot of life left in her, much wisdom and warm hugs to share despite a prominent broken tooth.
Here’s hoping she is getting the care she deserves and that the doors are still open for those who need a place to go for spiritual guidance.
I haven’t forced you to look at any churches or doors for a while. This photo kills two birds with one stone, so to speak.
The town of Gambier is quaint. Home to Kenyon College, it’s hard to tell where the downtown and the college begin and end because they’re so closely aligned.
I’m dying to go stay at this cute bed and breakfast. The weird thing is that I really don’t enjoy a B&B as I typically prefer more privacy and personal space than they offer. But I have a burning desire to curl up here with a book and blanket on a cold winter day.
There are some cute shops and restaurants including some with sidewalk cafe space for these warm weather days during the age of Covid.
And there’s an overall sense of civic responsibility and human decency that you often find prominent in a liberal arts college town. Be kind to your neighbor, shop local, be a good citizen are common themes found on many of the posters and signs here. People are also very careful to wear their masks and keep a safe distance.
Some objects come into our lives, not to stay forever, but so we can take care of them until they move on to their next destination.
New Hope Free Will Baptist Church can be found on Route 50 just outside Chillicothe, Ohio. There’s a lot of visual clutter in the vicinity but nothing can take away from the beauty of this house of worship.
And, of course, we all know how much I love a good door.