I first visited the former Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in Jennings in April of 2012, and at the time it was still occupied as a seniors’ center. In fact, it has become one of my most popular posts.
When I went back in December of 2016, things seemed to have been looking up, with needed repairs to the roof having occurred.
But when I went back in May of 2019, I was deeply disturbed at what I saw: an obviously abandoned and neglected building that was already showing the signs of a lack of maintenance.
When I went back last weekend, I was pretty much horrified at what I saw, and honestly didn’t feel like getting out of the car. The front of the church was so shrouded in overgrowth already in the early summer that I can’t imagine what it will look like by late August. Yes, the front door is in that mess in the photo above.
The roof, which apparently suffers from fundamental design flaws, is now rapidly deteriorating. And the school? I can’t imagine it lasting much longer before a “mysterious” fire guts it and an emergency demolition brings it down. There is no money to tear it down beforehand, and it’s clearly already reached the “tree growing out of the roof” stage.
My grandmother lived just across W. Florissant Ave. on Gaylord Dr. Sometimes when visiting her, a neighbor kid and I would go up to Corpus Christi and bowl. The lanes were in the basement. I remember a lot of beautiful woodwork there and the ball return sent the balls back between the lanes on top of the floor as opposed to under the floor. There was also a bar and although I was way too young to drink I recall they sold 3.2 beer on Sundays. Growing up and living most of my life in rural Tennessee, a bar in the basement of a church is totally unheard of. I’d love to see that bowling alley again, even if access could be obtained, I wonder if it’s even still there.
I bet it’s still there–I know of several bowling alleys still intact in the basements of buildings across St. Louis. They tend to be left behind because they’re flat and can be used for storage.
Bowling alley in basement: St George on Gravois in Affton, with a bar.
At least around 1960.