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For the week of Sept. 29, 1999 through Oct. 4, 1999

Old church must go


The old church that once housed Louie’s 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 away—with 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, Italy—home of the famous Leaning Tower—is desperately trying to keep its chief attraction from making its final descent.

The old church is a classic cheap Western structure. It’s 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.

 

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Copyright © 1999 Express Publishing Inc. All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited.