What are your thoughts about this building?

[SciAggie]

I went through a small community this week taking pictures of some old buildings and came across an old church with their parish hall next door.

Images:

The lower image is the parish/ fellowship hall. This SEEMS like it was the start of a much grander building that was just never finished. It is obvious that the construction was first class. The steps just end on the roof. The building is in use.

Anyway, it's odd and I wanted to share. Has anyone seen anything like this before?

 

[lynnb]

No I haven't... one possible explanation might be that they had intended to replace the church with a more imposing brick structure but the partly built edifice was converted to a hall when the project ran out of steam. The stairs seem out of proportion to the footprint of the brick building to me (could be wrong of course).
Any chance of asking a local? Or Googling the church in case there are reports online?

 

[SciAggie]

This a community that I occasionally pass through. I may contact their chamber of commerce (assuming they have one) and ask some questions. It is fascinating to me.

 

[bensyverson]

Wow... that is surreal.

 

[Nikon Bob]

Sure looks like a replacement church that just never got finished and was diverted to a different use.

Bob

 

[SciAggie]

This is Rowena, Texas. The structure in the lower image is quite old. I would guess it's original construction in the 50's. The architecture matches that time period and the weathering on the building supports that guess.

 

[Mark A. Fisher]

Or perhaps it's a structure salvaged from a windstorm or tornado? Maybe the top of the original building was destroyed, and the church members came up with this solution?

It'll be interesting to see what the real story is...

 

[Leigh Youdale]

I think it's late Aztec or Mayan. They would have had human sacrifices on the top platform.

 

[SciAggie]

Or perhaps it's a structure salvaged from a windstorm or tornado? Maybe the top of the original building was destroyed, and the church members came up with this solution?

It'll be interesting to see what the real story is...

That's a possibility I had not yet considered. It's very possible. Tornados are common and occasionally severe in this region.

 

[Paulbe]

SciAggie--there seems to be some sort of plaque on the front of the building--maybe that has some more info--nice photos! Does really make you wonder what happened...
PaulB

 

[SciAggie]

As I did some research, I came across a comment on a page referring to Rowena. Apparently the structure is the basement of a church that was never completed. They ran out of money, slapped on a roof, and went on with life. Fascinating...

 

[rjbuzzclick]

It's kind of like when folks used to build "basement houses", where they would build the basement first and live in that until they could afford to build the above ground portion of the house. My wife's grandmother's house was that way.

 

[Tom hicks]

Look like something I've seen up towards Pilot Point.

 

[johannielscom]

I still feel Leighs explanation was far more intriguing...

Nice shots though.