NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Demolition began in earnest on Wednesday months after the deteriorating steeple on St. Francis' Church was removed.
A building connecting the 150-year-old church to the rectory on Union Street was razed late last week in preparation for the removal of the church proper. Interior work on hazardous waste abatement had been completed some weeks ago.
On Wednesday, in short order, the middle of the massive brick building was reduced to a pile of rubble and only the tower and back portion of the church remained standing. Some benches from the grounds and one of the complete spire structures were loaded onto a flatbed.
The destruction of the historic building began back in May when brick facing on the tower fell onto the lawn and sidewalk of Eagle Street. Both Church and Eagle streets were closed and a 200-foot perimeter set up to reduce the risk in case of collapse. Two cranes and a crew of experts spent nearly two weeks removing the spire from the 180-foot steeple and lowering thousands of pounds of brass bells to the ground.
The work left a truncated tower that loomed above the city like some ancient abandoned castle. But the spire and belfry roof were left to languish on the lawn at one the city's busiest entrances, which led to numerous complaints. Residents have been urging the city to pressure the Diocese of Springfield to remove the debris as both an eyesore and a heart-wrenching reminder of a much-beloved structure.
The church closed at the beginning of 2008, one of a wave of Catholic houses of worship closed across the state because of declining attendance and aging infrastructure. The $1 million-plus estimate for repairs of St. Francis discouraged parishioners from mounting a protest like that at St. Stanislaus Kostka in Adams, which was saved by a three-year vigil.
St. Francis parish merged with Notre Dame, also closed and in disrepair, to reform at St. Anthony's Church under the new name of St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
The building, meanwhile, sat empty as the diocese attempted to find a buyer for the 15,000-square-foot church and 14,000-square-foot. When it appeared a chain pharmacy might buy it and demolish it, there was an outcry for preservation that came to naught.
Diocesan officials earlier had estimated the complete removal of the building would be done by September.
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