East Side Treasure to be Destroyed

Giant Eagle, Inc. has won its fight to demolish the historic St. John's United Church of Christ in nearby Cumberland. German immigrants founded the church on the northeast corner of East Washington Street and German Church Road in 1855. The congregation built a lovely brick Tudor-Revival structure in 1914.  Giant Eagle plans to put in a strip mall and possibly a gas station. Cumberland officials have tried valiantly to save the structure, but the Metropolitan Development Commission voted 4-2 in favor of destruction.  The Indianapolis City Council must still approve the measure, but the future does not look hopeful.  The beautiful edifice, which has stood on the site for over one hundred years, will likely have to give way to concrete blocks and asphalt.

St. John's United Church of Christ in 2015