City Methodist Church, Gothic Revival church in Gary, United States.
City Methodist Church is a nine-story building with stone exterior, high ceilings, intricate stone arches, and large windows in Gothic Revival style. The complex displays the architectural craftsmanship that was typical for religious buildings of that era.
A Methodist congregation existed in Gary from the city's founding in 1906. In 1916 Dr William Grant Seaman became pastor and pushed for a larger church; US Steel donated the site and nearly half the cost. Built by Lowe and Bollenbacher of Chicago, it opened on 3 October 1926 after 21 months and $800,000. Membership passed 3,000 in the 1950s, fell to 320 by 1973, and the church closed in 1975.
The church's name survives in Seaman Hall, the adjoining theatre seating 1,000, named for pastor William Grant Seaman, whose ashes were interred in the church after his death in 1944. Since closing, the ruin has drawn urban explorers, goth weddings and film crews, appearing in A Nightmare on Elm Street, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Sense8.
The building attracts photographers and filmmakers interested in its architecture and decay. Visitors should be cautious of structural deterioration and environmental hazards while exploring the site.
The sanctuary's roof partly collapsed in 2011, and thieves stripped most interior fixtures. The complex sits on Indiana Landmarks' 10 Most Endangered Places in Indiana list. A 2014 city plan would keep the sanctuary as the centrepiece of a large park and demolish the rest of the nine-story complex.
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