St. Bonaventure

This stunning church was designed by architect Edwin Forrest Durang in 1894 and construction was completed by 1906. This beautiful Gothic structure was unlike many others in the area. It was located in North Philadelphia's Fairhill section. After WWII, Fairhill was suffering. Factories moved out, families moved out due to jobs relocating, and property values sank. The are became one of Philly's most dangerous and drug infested neighborhoods. The church fell victim to what was referred to as "The North Philadelphia Swath of Destruction". This term is in reference to nearly every single Roman Catholic Church suffering in North Philly. This particular parish made it to "The Year of Hell", 1993. This is the year that any surviving parish in the area was closed for good. The structure sat for many years and fell victim to decay and vandalism. Despite this, the structure was still in good shape and the beauty of the architecture was still stunning. In 2013, the city declared the steeple as an unsafe structure and called for the demolition of the entire church to prevent a collapse.