News from the Vestry about Saint Joseph’s House
Saint Joseph’s House has been a beloved structure since the building of Saint Andrew’s church. The house was already sitting on its present lot when a tornado struck down our first wooden church in 1913, forcing the parish to relocate to the corner of Eleventh Avenue and Twelfth Street South. The little house had built not too long before, and originally served as the Rectory. Even from the start, Vestry records indicate that the building was a constant source of maintenance problems: furnace, chimneys, pipes, screens — something needed fixing all the time. In the 1940s, 1960s, and 1980s, the Vestry and parishioners debated whether or not Saint Joseph’s was worth keeping. Much money has been poured into its upkeep and preservation over the 111 years we have owned the house.
Because the Diocese and a 2013 parish team (the Saint Joseph’s House Committee) asked the parish to refrain from using the house until a capital campaign raised the money to totally renovate it, the building has now deteriorated to the point that it would take over two million dollars to restore it. Though Saint Andy’s Pantry has created a noble mission from the house, their leadership team feels that their volunteers and clients are unsafe using the building.
After some study and estimates on repair, the Saint Andrew’s Long Range Planning committee, in unanimous agreement, suggested that the best course of action would be the removal of the house. Following much personal and community deliberation (including a parish meeting on August 4), your Vestry (responding to a motion from the LRP committee) voted unanimously on Sunday (the 18th) to tear Saint Joseph’s down. This project will be done in accordance with the guidelines of the City of Birmingham; through disconnection of utilities; and by obtaining a Demolition permit. The timeline of the leveling will be dependent upon the approval from the City and the Diocese of Alabama, and upon the raising of funds to have this work done. The yard and surrounding area will become a green space until future plans that will include expansion of landscaping and possible buildings.
To honor its bygone days of glory and our heartfelt attachments to the building, we will have a celebration at some point as the demolition work is being done. We will also celebrate its history by offering the fireplaces, leaded windows, and other architectural elements for sale. The Vestry hopes you will join us in both mourning and toasting this decision, and that you will contribute ideas of how we might best commemorate this sad but necessary decision in the life of Saint Andrew’s. To see more about the history of Saint Joseph’s House, see the current edition of our magazine, Word and Deed: https://www.standrewsbham.org/word-deed