129 Year-Old Church Relocated to Make Way for Casino

People packed up a church and moved it two blocks away just because it was in the way for a new $1 billion MGM casino.

A First Spiritualist Church traveled down the streets of Springfield, Massachusetts to make way for a casino, US gambling news report. It stood in Bliss Street since its foundation 129 years ago, but now it has found a new home in Union Street. It was arranged due to MGM’s historical preservation commitment to Springfield. Vice president of construction and development for MGM Springfield, Brian Packer said, that “Today’s church relocation marks an exciting milestone for this project.”

Church relocated by Pennsylvania building movers

Springfield Mayor Domenico Sarno commented the news saying, “I think if you look at the definition now of Holy Roller, that might fit the bill right there.” The Spiritualists however have already abandoned the building in 2013 for a new site. The high Victorian Gothic building was introduced to the National Register of Historic Places back in 1983 nevertheless.

The relocation of the 475-ton, 68-foot by 43-foot church was carried out by house and building movers from Pennsylvania. Built in 1887 and sponsored by Daniel Wesson of Smith & Wesson gun factory, it was originally built for the French-Canadian Huguenots working in the gun plant. However, the Protestants sold it to the First Spiritualist Society in 1919.

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