San Francisco's Trinity Church to close

Via VirtueOnline:

SAN FRANCISCO, May 29 (UPI) -- The main sanctuary at San Francisco's Trinity Episcopal Church may be closed by the end of September amid fears the historic structure is not seismically safe.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that Trinity, the oldest Episcopal church on the Pacific Coast, doesn't have the money to determine whether the sanctuary can withstand another earthquake.

The church, which opened its main sanctuary in 1892, is moving services to the smaller chapel, which is a separate building on the property that holds about 75 people.

"It's not sufficient to say because it's been through the '06 earthquake and '89 that it's safe," interim Rector Otis Charles said. "We just feel that in all integrity and good conscience, you just can't continue to assume that all would be well."

The Chronicle said studies to determine whether the main stone and masonry church is built around a steel frame initially were going to cost about $80,000, but now the estimates are between $250,000 and $350,000.

"We don't have that kind of money," Charles was quoted as saying. "That's the whole issue."

END