Zion Church comes down
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BY DREW KERR / Lincoln Journal Star
The 1,000-pound steel wrecking ball met the Zion Church brick facade at exactly 2:46 p.m. Friday.
As the tip of the building finally wiggled, collapsed and crumbled into its scorched interior, some of the people watching cried, thinking about the baptisms, marriages and funerals that had taken place over the years -- right up until fire destroyed the historic church last Saturday.
Pastor Stu Kerns bowed his head in silent prayer. Diane Downing comforted her four children.
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Zion Church walls come tumbling down
On Friday, June 15, demolition workers knocked down the south facade of fire-damaged Zion Church at Ninth and D streets. (Colleen Kenney / JournalStar...
The cause of last Saturday’s fire at Zion Presbyterian Church is still under investigation. The Lincoln FIre Department continues to conduct interviews, and a cause likely will not be released for at least a few days, said Investigator Ken Hilger.
And Lindsey Friesen, one of the last bridesmaids to be in a wedding in the church at Ninth and D streets, thought about what could have gone wrong after the ceremony she participated in on June 8.
Others were less sentimental.
Chris Johnson, who lives around the corner from the church that burned early last Saturday morning, is an example.
He had ambitions of using brick from the bell tower for his driveway.
“I think God would be happier if it were reused instead of ending up in some landfill polluting and wasting space,” Johnson said.
Like a number of the nearly 150 people gathered to watch the demolition of the 80-year-old church, the draw for Johnson wasn’t so much closure but cheap entertainment.
Picnickers, kids fresh out of swim practice and a dog named Scout were all part of the warm afternoon scene.
Cameras, too, were ubiquitous.
“I just like taking cool photos,” Gloria Bell said while sitting in the shade of a tree across the street. “I want to get some special, colorful ones here.”
Even church members were there to see something unusual.
“I’ve never seen a building demolished before so, yeah, I guess there is that curiosity and entertainment factor,” said Barb Nichols, a member at the church for the past five years.
The estimated $200,000 demolition and excavation, scheduled to take 10 days, also brought out the Tyco truck childhoods in some.
“I’d love to do that,” said David Brill, a 65-year member who was baptized, confirmed and married in the brick building. “Just maybe not to my church.”
Reach Drew Kerr at 473-7223 or dkerr@journalstar.com.
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