Inside the church

Abandoned church of Farnham

Abandoned church of Farnham

St. Fabien church

Farnham (Quebec), Canada

Sold in July 2008 for $ 400,000 to real estate developers who wanted to convert the church into a residence for the elderly, the project will unfortunately never happen. While the parish was ready to sell the property (church, rectory and a large area) to the town of Farnham, the municipal council will unfortunately never make an cons-offer or even show any interest (seriously) to keep the place and try to convert it into a community center or other municipal equipment, as many citizens request it.

The real estate developers project was ambitious: transform the rectory and the church into 60 units of one room and half  for semi-autonomous person and 35 units of three and a half rooms for autonomous person. All spread over 3 floors. The project was evaluated at more than three million developers have estimated to six months the time required to perform the work.

Back in time

The construction of the church began in 1963 on a plot of land donated by Maria Lebeau and will be completed next year. While cease religious ceremonies in 2007, it is a year later than the last funeral service will be celebrated at the church of Saint-Fabien Farnham.

September 13, 2008 will be sold furniture and various religious objects from the old church. On the program for this auction: crucifix, candlesticks, plaster statues, religious leaders and church pews (forty), oak secretary with chair, a bookcase in sections, etc.. For the last time, there is a big crowd in the church.

Offered by a parishioner as part of her last wishes, two of the three bells will be sold to a religious community in Vietnam a year later.

Delay over delay

So in September 2012, after legal action from the city to force developers to demolish the building, the cranes came to work and have reduced the former church into a huge wasteland. The pretexts evocated by the city? The building became the prey of graffiti artists, copper thieves and other vandals. The roof was leaking, police and firefighters had to come regularly and as according to the municipal counsil, the place had become dangerous.

Today, there are plans to build 39 housing units. For the moment, it is too early to say if this project will emerge or not.

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