Thursday, June 25, 2015

What if Restoration Hardware Sold Church Steeples? #steepleatl

Restoration Hardware doesn't it have them yet. If they did? See "One more thing" at the bottom. For now we'll settle on Fiberglass Unlimited and Piedmont Fiberglass for our steeples.

I've started a new Instagram hashtag #steepleATL which has me looking. Maybe you can help by hashtagging some Atlanta area steeples. There are plenty of them.

I presume suburbanism and gentrification will erase many of our little church buildings. I'll really miss little landmarks where they don't belong, particularly those amidst houses. I call them walk-to churches.

IMG_20150622_111653 2015-06-22 New LIberty & Praise COGIC church steepleatl steeple Kirkwood
New Liberty & Praise C.O.G.I.C. is across the street from Bessie Branham Park in Kirkwood. You couldn't build them here today and who would anyway?

2015-06-17 Silverleaf Baptist Church steepleatl Georgia Capital Dome Corey Tower 3 detail 1
Sometimes a little steeple holds its own among the landmarks. Silverleaf Baptist Church sure does. It's on Fort Street at Martin Luther King just west of Oakland Cemetery.

So I'll try to take a picture when I see a steeple. You can help. It's worth getting on Instagram if you aren't already. Remember #steepleATL and geotag them if you can.

"Americans became imbued with the idea that a proper church should be vaguely classical and have a portico and steeple no matter how basic. Hence, to give a clear signal that this 1960s edifice is indeed a house of God, it is fronted with a portico (of skinny columns), and topped by a pre-fab steeple of equally skinny proportions" - THE GIBBS CHURCH: A PARADIGM FOR AMERICA - Calder Loth


Stanton Grove Baptist Church 2015 Memorial Dr SE Atlanta.

Here are a few more. The variations are amazing.

IMG_20150615_112758 2015-06-15 Little Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 5th Ave Decatur GA steepleatl steeple

Little Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 5th Ave Decatur, GA

IMG_20150615_114049 2015-06-15 Ingrams Temple Church of God and Christ 1953 Hosea L Williams Dr NE Atlanta steepleatl steeple
Ingrams Temple Church of God and Christ 1953 Hosea L Williams Dr NE Atlanta in Kirkwood.

IMG_20150615_131803 2015-06-15 Lakewood Church of Hope Atlanta GA 1766 Lakewood Ave  steepleatl steeple
Lakewood Church of Hope Atlanta GA 1766 Lakewood Ave in South Atlanta

IMG_20150615_195512 2015-06-15 Bowen United Methodist Church built 1951 211 Arthur Langford Atlanta  steepleatl steeple
Bowen United Methodist Church built 1951 211 Arthur Langford Atlanta

IMG_20150615_195927 2015-06-15 Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 648 Jordan Lane Decatur, Georgia kind of near Dekalb Farmers Market steepleatl steeple
The wonderful joy of overscale, bravo. Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 648 Jordan Lane Decatur, Georgia kind of near Dekalb Farmers Market

IMG_20150615_201048 2015-06-15 The Rock Baptist Church Rex-Georgia Old Frame Steeple steepleatl steeple
The "old" Rock Baptist Church sanctuary Rex, Georgia isn't pointy.

IMG_20150615_202032 2015-06-15 Trinity Baptist Church Etowah Drive at Oostanaula Drive Atlanta couple of blocks off Dresden demolished steepleatl steeple
Trinity Baptist Church Etowah Drive at Oostanaula Drive Atlanta couple of blocks off Dresden. Torn down to make two houses. They are nice but now the neighborhood is just houses.

IMG_20150616_162858 2015-06-16 Greater Community Baptist Church 121 Flat Shoals Ave SE Atlanta steepleatl steeple
Greater Community Baptist Church 121 Flat Shoals Ave SE Atlanta  is the landmark of downtown Kirkwood.

IMG_20150616_163402 2015-06-16 Morning Star Baptist Church 197 Gibson St SE Atlanta Reynoldstown steepleatl steeple
For sale: Morning Star Baptist Church 197 Gibson St SE Atlanta Reynoldstown

IMG_20150617_152714 2015-06-17 Greater Christ Temple Holiness 914 Cherokee Ave SE Atlanta GA Grant Park steepleatl steeple
Skinny steeples work. Greater Christ Temple Holiness 914 Cherokee Ave SE Atlanta GA Grant Park.

 IMG_20150617_153024 2015-06-17 Greater Moses Chapel Baptist Church 890 Boulevard SE Atlanta GA Grant Park steepleatl steeple
It has everything and I love it: Greater Moses Chapel Baptist Church 890 Boulevard SE Atlanta GA Grant Park.

We've got a few hundred to go: Remember #steepleATL and geotag if you can.

One more thing: If Restoration Hardware sold steeples we'd see more of them on garages in sculpture gardens:

IMG_4843 2014-11-22 The Stove Party at The Commuter Gallery by Clark Ashton
Behold The Commuter Gallery.

2 comments:

  1. I recently drove past a church in Decatur that is being demolished and thought about what kind of beautiful items could be salvaged, including the steeple. I think you’re on to something here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They've removed the windows. I need to photograph the steeple before it's gone.

      Delete

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