A few words on the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church was constructed at 1321 Broadway in 1859. Mattoon was an exchange point for soldiers on their way to and from the war front. Many injured and sick passed through town and a hospital was needed to care for them. In 1863, the basement Presbyterian Church was fitted to serve as a hospital.

Not only did the building serve as a hospital during the war, but also a jail. 26 prisoners known as “copperheads” (a northerner sympathetic to the southern cause) from the famous Charleston riot were held at the church for several days until they were transferred into federal custody.

The original building was replaced in 1895, but elements from that building were used for the new one. There have been several alterations to the building over the years, including an addition on the north side that covers one of the stained glass windows.

The Presbyterian’s moved out and the Lutheran’s moved in. Broadway Christian Church later occupied the building. In 1977, the First Alliance Church began holding services here. They moved out in 2003 and since 2006 the church was used for Apostolic Assembly Church.

Now the fate of the church has been sealed. It will be demolished for a new CVS Pharmacy. As regrettable as it is to lose another historic building, this one probably makes the most sense of all previous demolitions.

Unlike other demolitions, this one has a definite plan for the site. The 1700 block of Broadway was demolished with no plans for replacement. And the site where the Big Four depot once sat has been barren for almost five years now. This site will have a productive business on it, generating revenue and providing jobs.

A church in the middle of a business district does little for economic growth. The traffic generated by the church comes at a time downtown businesses are closed. No revenue is created at a church. And the land the church sits is tax exempt in what should be a prime real estate district. Redevelopment of a church into a successful business is rare.

A CVS pharmacy will put people in the heart of downtown at all hours of the day all days of the week. A smart entrepreneur will be able to capitalize on this traffic and draw it into adjacent businesses. And the project will take a desolate block of downtown and revitalize it back to life. It will take two properties currently tax exempt, and put them on the tax rolls. And it addresses three vacant buildings that are beginning to show signs of neglect.

Historic preservation is still important to me, but it is obvious it will not be a platform for economic development in Mattoon. Over 20 buildings have been razed since early 2004. Even if every remaining building was renovated, it won’t be enough to sustain downtown. It is time to seriously look at infill development. This project is a step in that direction.