First United Methodist Demolition Coming Faster

In an apparent bid to head off preservation efforts, ownership of the First United Methodist Church has been passed back to the church.

Background from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation:

Frederick Heath, a prominent architect in Tacoma, designed First United Methodist to accommodate 1,150 people, making it one of the largest sanctuaries in the Northwest at the time of its completion.  In addition to holding worship services, the church served as a hospital during a flu epidemic and as a community meeting hall, hosting speakers such as William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow.  First United is one of a cluster of historic churches surrounding Wright Park in the Hilltop Neighborhood.  Collectively, these structures provide a richly layered narrative about the social and economic development of Tacoma.

MultiCare has purchased the building from the congregation and now plans on tearing it down to put in a new emergency room.  Public outcry was starting to complicate the plans of MultiCare and the congregation.  The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation put the church on their list of endangered places for 2006 and even announced the list in front of the church.  Then it gets more interesting.  This week the ownership was handed back to the congregation.  So, according the article, a 1996 state Supreme Court ruling exempts churches from historic status against their wishes.  By passing ownership back to First United Methodist, the congregation will take care of stripping the building and demolishing it.  Demolition could come as soon as early October.  Check.  Check mate?  We’ll see.

Link to The News Tribune