Church Demolition (Part 1), Bethesda

www.pedestrians...
Part 1: The Luther Hall educational building. Demolition of the Christ Lutheran Church on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, Maryland. It will be replaced by an apartment building.
Produced by John Z Wetmore, producer of "Perils For Pedestrians".

[@ronaldgaska4480]

Wow! A demolition of a beautiful church. Brick with nice large windows and slate roof. Rather then tearing it down the developer could of turned the church into apartments. A guess a new structure, taller will cram in more apartments. Nice demolition video.

[@slayedclaw317]

Lol its ugly

[@svenulfskjaldbjorn5401]

At least an apartment will pay taxes. Something that church never did!!!

[@unclesquirrel6951]

Personally I blame squirrels

[@johnfoltz8183]

Cheaply built sawdust and cardboard apartments marketed as luxury apartments

[@johnfoltz8183]

Yuppies don't want to live in a repurposed church building as it doesn't have all the modern amenities of most apartments

[@gravydog51]

The work is so slow! It's like they are afraid they will hurt the building or something.

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

Or something, try pricing out a replacement hydraulic hose or cylinder that has been damaged by falling debris, then figure in the price of having the machine down while tracking down and replacing the parts. Lots of people think that operators are way too slow or chickens*it , not so , haste makes waste .

[@constructionwatcher5381]

Thanks John. It's nice that this section is out in the open where you can get access to film. Looking forward to more on this project.

[@janeblake5083]

Amazingly quick! Remember years ago how long it took to demolish homes to make room for the TTC North/South line!

[@k.c.beagle7102]

Thanks John for sharing these great videos. Always enjoying and entertaining. Seems them folks at Berg Demolition Construction never bore a person.

[@jeffreyczech2591]

hello from germany

[@marvinjgerald6007]

I’m sorry but the fellow operating the excavator with claw on the left seems to not want to just use the claw auger exactly for what it’s designed for. It’s not a wrecking ball, just freaking claw the structure down, because even gravity is on your side, you know?

[@texancowboy9988]

They are charging by the hour.

[@marvinjgerald6007]

@@texancowboy9988 highly probable.

[@brucemartini2288]

22:06- machine like- "i lost my stick, can you help me find it"?🤣

[@grumpyg9350]

Painful to watch. Appears both operators were new, perhaps.

[@johnmaguire9305]

What’s the point of the m/c with the metal bar? It doesn’t appear to be adding any value to the job! Better to have a clam-shell attachment which can bite into the brickwork

[@ctiley2212]

Amateurs, they obviously have no clue.

[@rickwright7267]

wow john a great video to watch i came a cross your video and now i am watching it for the first time

[@mackhopper]

Why not convert this existing structure to apartments (which is often done) rather than build some new crappy looking, “cheaply constructed” apartments? Just stupid.

[@thenussbaum44]

You don't know what you are talking about. It was built as a church not an apartment building, its much different.

[@matmabira]

I would like to be in the place of the operators, this must be fun !

[@rangercwgbear6352]

Dang took two naps watching this so slow

[@pauljames5914]

Makes me sad. Can't watch beautiful buildings get wrecked.

[@kellymeadows353]

Cool....I guess it's time had come ....had been unused for awhile now........

[@darrenrobson1562]

you need to do some of the video part 2 would be good

[@richardmattingly7000]

With that many widows a heavy chain between them being pulled from outside would be faster especially if it were a floor or two below not just one at a time...

[@woofusdad]

Love this, old fashioned demolition, more please.

[@jonathandye6218]

Lighthouses are more useful than churches- Ben Franklin

[@paulstagnoli3964]

That backhoe on the right if he would turn that tool in the jaws one quarter turn either way it would be more effective in pulling down the walls!

[@paulbrasier372]

He was there only to make sure the wall didn't come down toward the street.

[@hjooy]

Why no separation of wood, metal and brick/concrete?

[@paulthesoundguy1]

Maybe I am an idiot……..but if I had that big metal Rod connected to an excavator…I would have had that building on the ground ……NOW😁😁😁

[@paulbrasier372]

He was there to make sure the wall didn't come down toward the street.

[@paulthesoundguy1]

Hello Mr serious……my comment was a joke and self deprecating at that😁😁😁😁😁

[@PeterMackett]

This is fantastic!, i love watching brick buildings being demolished and they certainly ripped through that end quick!, hard to use the spear sideways as the idea is to push through the walls then pull it out with the hook, looking forward to seeing more of this building coming down.

[@matmabira]

nice com 😉

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

The spear was there initially to prevent the collapse of the gable outwards over the edge of the site. Once the danger had been removed, he could start to operate normally.

[@nighthawk784]

Were the real machine operators off that day? These two don’t seem to be very good at it.

[@brianholley1942]

Is the guy on the first excavator just a learner he seems very hesitant. Those two machines are taking far too long on this job.

[@lukelegg9915]

the one with the pole i assume you are talking about, he was there to hold the front wall up so it didn't fall onto the street, and afterwards he was grabbing metal out

[@rhythmblackheart917]

There also trying to keep the bricks separated from the c&d debry because the landfill don't take bricks mixed.

[@lukelegg9915]

@@rhythmblackheart917 i doubt that, berg is a huge company and couldn't care less about saving bricks, maybe a small machine will come back later but i doubt it

[@rhythmblackheart917]

@@lukelegg9915 there not saving them in stating they cannot go to the landfill. Landfills don't allow bricks and debry to be mixed.

[@lukelegg9915]

@@rhythmblackheart917 no, they do allow bricks in most places

[@skinmaxdestroyer]

nice vid keep it up !

[@jamielacourse7578]

Do they search the building for homeless squatters or copper thieves before starting?

[@doninventura9474]

Like watching grass grow.

[@Kraber50]

Jeder normale Schaufelbagger hätte mehr abgerissen, als die beiden Spielkälber der ersten 10 Minuten !! Any normal bucket excavator would have torn off more than the two play calves of the first 10 minutes !!

[@22hfang]

Hey John, Berg operators seem to like their excavator tools. Waiting on part 2!

[@Leatherface123.]

They need to make demolition proof buildings. What a waste of incredible architecture

[@rudylittlewolf]

Excavator: "NOM NOM NOM NOM......."

[@georgefilippello7972]

Are these people mad ? What a beautiful building . An Appartment?

[@David-vn7th]

Wind noise was very distracting!!

[@gregherold6295]

Such a shame looked like a nice church

[@lukelegg9915]

its been abandoned for five years so, it looked extremely rough the last time i drove by

[@STARDRIVE]

@@lukelegg9915 When did you drive by? Before or after the demolition?

[@lukelegg9915]

@@STARDRIVE much before, a few months back

[@Leatherface123.]

Tearing down history to replace it with garbage

[@trudeausmagiclamp1472]

Tear down a beautiful brick structure and erect a wooden tinderbox... How American.

[@peteneal5914]

this video is 1 year old bet there still taking it down so slow

[@cascade_mountain_railfan]

Are you kidding me? For an apartment complex?!!

[@MrGoofy53]

Warum gehen die so vorsichtig mit dem Abriss vor.

[@randykennedy7444]

Way to much debri mixed together!! push the windows in then pull the brick down & clean up as you go anybody can mix it all together .

[@svenulfskjaldbjorn5401]

And half the commentors think they know more than the guys doing it. Know so much, go get a job doing it!!

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

@@svenulfskjaldbjorn5401 Exactly !

[@davemarks7322]

painfully slow.

[@allan8004]

Sorry couldn't watch to much the only things getting a work out were the tracking peepers

[@monicap5071]

Don't understand why knock down such a charming building. Surely the rooms could've been used for the homeless?

[@constructionwatcher5381]

Who would you have pay for this housing? The church has clearly been unable to support it's operation there. They have apparently been out of the building for several years. They tried for over a decade to create a new structure for the church and with housing, and were unable to make that happen. So finally they sold the property, for over $20M according to realtor websites, and it is being developed into about 300 apartments.

[@monicap5071]

@@constructionwatcher5381 calm down. It was just a general question.

[@constructionwatcher5381]

@@monicap5071 Yes, I saw that, and that's why I answered it.

[@georgefilippello7972]

No that would make too much sense to do that . Just wait . They will regret that decision when houses can not be build any more ,because of overpopulation and no land left

[@markmeeck7372]

Low profile operator, he doesn't know nothing, it's a shame.

[@charlesramsey3238]

That's one way to rip down a big building just get two excavations on It satisfying to watch

[@thejeepdoctor]

Did they move the bodies from the graveyard or just build on top of them?🤔

[@svenulfskjaldbjorn5401]

They are dead. They don't care!!

[@JohnZWetmore]

There wasn't a graveyard at this church. (Although that has been an issue at another location just a couple of miles from there.)

[@howie4150]

Must be getting payed by the hour...

[@David-yk9hm]

That looks like a pretty nice church

[@KLM817]

Good video as always! Such a shame they couldn't save that building and repurpose it into the apartments. I guess sometimes it's easier to build new.

[@jefferykeeper9034]

Yes it is a shame to see your nice Church being demolished, but on the other hand most of the time it is cheaper to tear something down and build new.

[@joefraga7377]

See notes an abandoned building 5 years . Mold

[@thejeepdoctor]

In the beginning….. the bar from hell

[@davidpatrick2997]

I feel as though this guy on the left is doing most of the work.

[@RonDeSantis2028]

These guys better be in training if not, fire them.

[@Jarial7]

Such a shame it's a beautiful church tragic to see its end

[@jamescampbell7780]

The claw machine operator is wasting too much time as a spectator! And not cracking on with the use of the claw as intended.

[@salvadorgomezvalero143]

Muy lento para derribar

[@OldDocSilver]

You mean to tell me that it couldn’t be turned into low rental apartments or housing for the homeless???? But…nope….that’s all just talk and empty promises. Disgusting waste.

[@josephbennett3482]

That's exactly what the land is being turned into after the church is torn down , an apartment building for low income people is going on the site. The church structure itself isn't designed for housing so replacing it is the only option.

[@lynnbreazeale9134]

This must be union work. An 80,000 lb excavator with a huge demo claw and this guy is moving 1/4 wheel root the time. Pitiful, wasteful and makes no sense.

[@rhythmblackheart917]

Yay I've been waiting lol!

[@XLR8RRICK]

Frustrating to watch inexperienced operators. Waste my time and the contractor doing the take down. 2 Thumbs down from me.

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

What you were watching was a pair of Experienced operators practicing Safety First. A good operator will slowly and methodically bring down a building without injury to anyone on the ground or causing expensive damage to their equipment. What may appear to be a timid little poke is actually the operator testing the structural integrity of the building, so that there are no surprises or mishaps.

[@howie4150]

I agree.. I know milkmen when I see them.

[@NofreedomofspeechonYouTube]

This is hilarious .

[@heathsmith3734]

You demolition people make tearing down a house or whatever it may be a lot harder than what it really is 🤦🤦🤦🤦😂 I mean really just tear the thing down 🤷

[@michaelmullin7941]

How very sad to demolish a pretty church in favor of yet another beehive apartment complex!

[@jongreen4893]

Why are these guys so slow? Are they afraid to make a mess? They guy on the right needs to go back to work at McDonalds!

[@inescividanes2403]

Dois operadores ruins de serviço. Precisa se reciclar para serem mais rapido . . Por enquanto são pessimos opoeradores

[@louieokamoto8747]

Watching the shadow on the wall looks like a steak just saying

[@lesliecabell3208]

I know a lot of people went to that church ⛪💯

[@richardcline1337]

It's always sad to see a church destroyed.

[@gskeezyio]

Feed the dawgs

[@yourwhiteknight636]

How very sad

[@marknightser8527]

To boring brick by brick.