Last summer, we told you that the former Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ at 1401 Marlborough St. was under agreement at a list price of $750K. At the time, we speculated that any buyer stepping in at that price point would likely be demolishing the handsome building, likely in favor of residential development. It was just a few months later that our suspicions were confirmed and plans came out from Greenpoint Developers, an offshoot of Tower Investments for six homes on the site. After negotiations with the community, the oddly shaped sixth home was axed and the project got approval from the ZBA. At that point, it was just a matter of time before the church came down.
Recently, when we told you about plans for tacos on Frankford Avenue, we mentioned that demolition had begun at the church. When we passed by last week, only one entranceway remained from a church that was originally built in 1841. It would come as no surprise to us if even this remnant has now passed into oblivion.
In case you don't remember, here's a look at the homes that will be replacing the lost edifice. Paul Drzal did the design work.
Architecturally, we're into these homes. They have an interesting contemporary look and the mix of horizontal and vertical cladding adds a degree of visual complexity that we haven't seen before. That being said, we preferred the church building- they quite literally don't make 'em like that anymore. So add one more building to the ledger of churches that have fallen victim to Philadelphia's building boom in the last several years. Sadly, it seems likely that list is far from complete.