Its History Now- It was an Iconic Architectural Gem

History and community- the travails of iconic architecture- Brian Keeler

Imagine my surprise when I drove up North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre last fall to take a look at one of my favorite locales (for the motif potential), when all I could see was a completely barren lot.  I thought that I must be on the wrong block.  But no, I was at the intended location of a really unique church that I had painted several times as part of cityscapes in this neighborhood. It was gone.

Above- a painting by the author of North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The church considered in this article is shown on the right. The painting, now in a private collection, is titled, "Reflecting on a Cityscape," oil on linen, 18" x 46." Limited edition prints of this work are available at the Mainstreet Galleries in Kingston, PA.

This Russian Orthodox church stood at this location for over 100 years and it was truly an architectural, cultural and religious marvel. It was known as the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral. The large main gold dome and smaller onion shaped dome and ochre color along with the paintings on the exterior made for a great juxtaposition to the houses that surrounded it. It was as if some visage of Constantinople had been transplanted amidst the staid houses of a Pennsylvania neighborhood.

 The street has three other churches of various denominations that line the same side of North Main.  It made for a compelling motif from either the north or south or from various angles behind.  The domes peaking above laundry hanging in backyards or above the roofs of 19th century Victorians made for a compelling contrast. Or in contrast to the reflections mirrored in parked cars- one of my preferred compostional devices. I have come to think of these contrasts as representing, not exactly the sacred and the profane, but sacred and mundane or the sacred and secular perhaps.  The variety of churches in close proximity speaks of the rich ethnic and cultural heritage of the region. Other towns in northeastern Pennsylvania have a similar mix. Olyphant, PA (a town near Scranton) has quite a variety of church architecture- and one gold-domed church along the Lackawanna River that I have painted several times. (it is shown in the painting below)

Above- A view of the Lackawanna River as it passes through the town of Olyphant, PA. The town has a variety of churches each with its own unique character. This 36" x 40" oil painting is titled, "Townscape with Excavator." The painting was done not long after an Oldsmobile garage was razed at that location.

The end of this cathedral was documented well in the local press. There was a brave effort by a local businessman who wanted to continue the church's historic legacy as a community center.  He even offered to purchase it for well above the asking price.  And his price was much more than the demolition costs.  Truly baffling and unfortunate.

Above- A painting by the author of the church featured in this essay- in Wilkes- Barre shown off to the right. This 12" x 45" oil is titled "Windows on Wilkes- Barre."

I have seen this time and again in many towns, most poignantly in and around my hometown, Wyalusing, PA.   There are so many examples in our small town where historic landmarks or brave Victorian era houses have been razed with similar indifference to their cultural and social importance. The most egregious occurred just a few years ago when an 1860 Italianate across from the Post Office was razed.  To make matters worse, those responsible were also part of the local museum. The purpose and mandate of most museums is to protect and preserve our legacy and historic landmarks.  The rationale with this one and many others is rather facilie with the logic going that there was nothing architecturally significant in these buildings. The cost of demolishing (in many cases) usually far exceeds what it would cost to restore.  Further, they are often replaced by truly banal structures that are a dime a dozen, yet cost much more than repairs would be to restore these historic buildings. Another reasoning offered up for the destruction is to create green zones, as if Wyalusing really needs more green zones. Similar reasoning was put forth more recently when another historic building in the downtown area was razed--this time by the borough council no less.

On my drive home from Wilkes- Barre after viewing the vacant lot I called up a friend and collector of my work, Jan Lokuta of Dupont, PA. Jan is an historian with his specialty being the churches of northeastern PA. He is truly a font of knowledge and passionate about the area's history.  Jan is knowledgeable not only about the religious edifices but about the art and environmental issues as well. He's presented lectures to varius groups about native son artists such as George Catlin and Fanz Kline, both hailing from Wilkes-Barre. Jan has commissioned and collected paintings of mine that depict the churches of nearby Pittston, PA as well as those churches on North Main in Wilkes- Barre. I knew we could commiserate about this desecration.

Above- Further up North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre there is another onion-domed church- this one with double towers. This painting, a 36" x 40" oil by the author, depicts the final light of a winter afternoon on that intersection.

The campaign to save this church in Wilkes-Barre was spearheaded by Demitri Pastisas of Mountain Top, Pa.  It eventually involved many others, including the Wilkes- Barre Mayor, The Preservation Society, the State Representative and other community leaders. In the end their requests fell on deaf ears and the bulldozers and wrecking crews came in.  

It is bad enough when private homes of historic significance are razed, but it seems doubly tragic when sacred buildings with a long community history are obliterated. One woman interviewed by the Citizens Voice, a local paper, said that the razing of the cathedral felt like a death in the family. The church was called the Holy Resurrection, but there will be no resurrection of this edifice.

Above - a large oil painting by the author, also depicting North Main St. with two of the historic churches shown here with the last of a winter's day light catching their spires. This painting, a 38" x 54" oil on linen, is titled "Winter Afternoon- Wilkes-Barre, PA."

View a video- To see Keeler working on the painting of North Main Street (shown above and at the top) go to this link- https://youtu.be/1T7mTBRjQNo?si=KTcDKFM1fwkmWKrr

Above - the empty lot where the church stood in Wilkes-Barre.