Church of Vliets (Kansas)
When I turned a corner in the so-small-it-isn't-really-a-town "town" of Vliets, Kansas and saw this little building I was pretty happy. In my efforts to photograph the deteriorating history of small towns (and sometimes big towns), aside from abandoned theaters, one-room schoolhouses are the numero uno treasures. And I was convinced this was such a treasure--even though it certainly appeared to be an abandoned church. But there was a sign carved in limestone by the drive leading here that seemed to proclaim this "District 79, Vliets School 1892." That it was fashioned in a form more like a church made it all the more interesting. However, on later closer inspection of the sign, it seemed to be referencing a building that no longer exists that stood in front of this one. Oh well. Still, finding abandoned churches is pretty cool as well. :-)
I had never heard of Vliets before finding it on the map as I wandered back and forth on the back roads near US 36 in North Kansas. And no wonder. It consists of maybe five houses and a grain storage facility with no indication of there ever having been a "business district." The disappeared school, then, seems an oddity, as the aforementioned sign had a small line drawing of the old school and it appeared to be a much more substantial building than the small one-room structure one would have expected. It was two stories and at minimum had three rooms and an entryway. In any case, there was no information posted about this old church, and it was locked so all I can say with reasonable certainty is that it used to be a church.
Church of Vliets (Kansas)
When I turned a corner in the so-small-it-isn't-really-a-town "town" of Vliets, Kansas and saw this little building I was pretty happy. In my efforts to photograph the deteriorating history of small towns (and sometimes big towns), aside from abandoned theaters, one-room schoolhouses are the numero uno treasures. And I was convinced this was such a treasure--even though it certainly appeared to be an abandoned church. But there was a sign carved in limestone by the drive leading here that seemed to proclaim this "District 79, Vliets School 1892." That it was fashioned in a form more like a church made it all the more interesting. However, on later closer inspection of the sign, it seemed to be referencing a building that no longer exists that stood in front of this one. Oh well. Still, finding abandoned churches is pretty cool as well. :-)
I had never heard of Vliets before finding it on the map as I wandered back and forth on the back roads near US 36 in North Kansas. And no wonder. It consists of maybe five houses and a grain storage facility with no indication of there ever having been a "business district." The disappeared school, then, seems an oddity, as the aforementioned sign had a small line drawing of the old school and it appeared to be a much more substantial building than the small one-room structure one would have expected. It was two stories and at minimum had three rooms and an entryway. In any case, there was no information posted about this old church, and it was locked so all I can say with reasonable certainty is that it used to be a church.