Church of the Atonement | Photo: Bradley Maule

The Church of the Atonement, designed by the office of Furness, Evans and Company in 1900, and threatened with immediate demolition, will be saved, according to Hidden City sources. A buyer has come forth for the building at 4700 Kingsessing Avenue, which an engineer has deemed structurally sound. The new owner will have to prove the title is free and clear.

According to a June report in these pages, the situation at the church, listed on our “10 most vulnerable churches,” has been dire, necessitating the Department of Licenses and Inspections to slate the building for demolition, which seemed imminent in June. In a June 10 article, Hidden City co-editor Bradley Maule wrote, “In early 2013, a Celtic cross crashed to the sidewalk on 47th Street overnight, fortunately injuring no one. Several support columns inside the church had severe cracks, and entire portions of the floor had caved in. St. Peter’s Church of Christ’s congregation still meets in the parish house next door.”

Church of the Atonement | Photo: Bradley Maule

Sources say that this morning a crew has been working to patch holes in the roof, board up windows, and pull out trees whose roots threaten further deterioration.

Hidden City will have further details as they become available.