Old church must go
The old church that once housed Louies Restaurant
may soon face the wrecking ball.
The old church sits on a prime Sun Valley Road lot. The building is a
Ketchum landmark, one of the few that escaped the ravages of the 19th century fires that
destroyed its contemporaries. Yet, historical or not, the old 1880s clapboard building is
a rickety affair that screams "money pit."
The owner, Louie Mallane, has tried to give the building awaywith
no success. Only a wealthy and committed guardian angel can save the old church now.
Residents will shed some tears when the church crumbles, but buildings
are not immortal. They crack, they sag and they eventually die.
Some of the seven wonders of the world have the same problem. The
pyramids are eroding and Pisa, Italyhome of the famous Leaning Toweris
desperately trying to keep its chief attraction from making its final descent.
The old church is a classic cheap Western structure. Its not
exactly a timber-framed rock-ribbed castle built by highly skilled craftsmen to weather
the ages. It was built in a mining boom town only to shelter those who sang "Rock of
Ages." Even the choir moved to better digs long ago.
Ketchum should not devote a substantial amount of public money to
saving the building. We would do better to make sure that new buildings have the kind of
architecture and sturdy construction that will make them precious landmarks worth saving
in the future.