The parks themselves hold so much history even as they’ve continue to change and adapt to the times throughout the years.

But, Disney’s historic locations aren’t all within the parks. And, a special spot that has been significant to the Walt Disney family for generations will be taken down soon.

According to the Northern New York Newspaper, the Westminster Congregational Church will be coming down after a structural failure caused the roof to collapse in on itself, despite being in place for over 100 years of service. Back in its heyday, Walt Disney himself used to stand on the corner of East 36th and Walnut streets in Kansas City to admire the castle-like architecture.

He passed the tradition on to the rest of his family with the oldest surviving Disney, Charles Elias, recounting those moments with his brother Daniel H. Disney. Charles Elias noted, “Uncle Walt was always taken by architecture. And when he would talk about architecture in later years, he talked about that church.”

After the church was built in 1904, Walt Disney moved to Kansas City in 1910 when he was only 9 years old. Charles Elias Disney said that he later followed in Walt’s footsteps as he would even sit in the sanctuary as a child, look up at the peak of the 65-foot ceiling, admire the natural light in the golden stained-glass windows, and think of heaven.

Yet, the structural failure at the Westminster Congregational Church caused it to be deemed a “dangerous building” by the city’s Neighborhoods and Housing Services Department. It was given an “emergency order to demolish,” but the Kansas City’s City Planning and Development Department’s historic preservation office checked to see if anything could be saved.

Even after Charles Elias Disney pleaded in a letter to the editor published in The Star, the Westminster Congregational Church still has been coming down. The owner Sam Unruh, who purchased the building several years ago, said that the costs to repair and restore it would have cost upwards of half a million dollars. And, unfortunately, the “astronomical” costs were out of reach for them.

Sam Unruh stated, “We spent a tremendous amount of money trying to undo what 110 years had done, and we took on that risk, thinking that we could see it through.” The ceiling began having issues last summer and ultimately collapsed, making the situation a health and safety concern. The city is working to salvage as much as they can from the building currently.

Beth Breitenstein, a spokeswoman for Kansas City’s City Planning and Development Department, said that “We are saddened to see the loss of this significant Kansas City landmark. City staff will review existing ordinances and determine opportunities for revisions that will better protect such important community assets. We will also reach out to our partners in the Historic Preservation Commission and historic preservation community to identify best practices.”

Charles Elias noted how disheartening the situation was by referencing his uncle, saying “I think he was probably as a young lad as awed with it as I was. There was something about it that spoke to your heart.” We’ll keep you updated on any other news surrounding the church. Stay tuned with All Ears for more Disney news.

We took a detour while waiting for this popular EPCOT attraction

Did you ever see the Westminster Congregational Church? Let us know in the comments below!

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