Reusing Selkirkís Asbury Delaware Church

Newsletter of the
Preservation Coalition of Erie County (Home Page)

Spring 1999....TABLE of CONTENTS.....Vol. 22 No 3

Reusing Selkirk's Asbury Delaware Church

By Tim Tielman

ì[The town of Ryde's] skyline was church spires. And that is always a good sign, the steeples and spires; the most heartening aspect of any of these towns was a skyline in which spires predominated. I liked walking into these places; I was always happier seeing church spires, even though I did not regard myself as religious and seldom entered a church.î
- Paul Theroux, The Kingdom by the Sea

The Preservation Coalition proposes a one-floor, multi-use facility for the former Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, designed by Buffalo's first native bred architect of note, John Selkirk. Selkirk's only other surviving building is the Gasworks of 1859 on Genesee St.
Computer rendering by Premier Presentations

In a preservation saga not yet over, the Preservation Coalition is proposing that John Selkirk's Asbury-Delaware church, completed in 1876, be operated as a hall for public gatherings, capitalizing on what its historic spaces were designed for.

The city is negotiating the purchase of the threatened landmark from an essentially defunct religious organization run by a Texas man. The building's stone veneer must be repointed and in some cases re-anchored. Rendering the building fit for occupancy would cost somewhat under $1,000,000.

The closer the new use is to the original function, the less conversion costs will be. Churches, as big open spaces, are well suited to large social gatherings and meetings. The city would be wise to prepare the structure for lease or sale with this in mind. Confining public use to the main floor obviates the need for elevators and fire stairs.

Asbury-Delaware's location has commercial possibilities not open to many other former churches. It majestically marks the point at which Allentown, the theater district, and the Chippewa Street "party district" come together, and it is easily found, scraping the sky far above its smaller neighbors on a major thoroughfare.

It is important to have such uplifting architecture, no matter what the use. One even imagines it could be rented out on Sunday mornings as a church.