A rich American wants to buy and relocate Blackburn Cathedral across the Atlantic Ocean to the USA.
Due to recent bad publicity in Blackburn Diocese, there was speculation the cathedral could have been closed down. This prompted interest from a billionaire American property developer with local connections. He was already interested in building a replica of St John’s Tavern, which he used to enjoy going in as a young man, while studying at Blackburn College. But demolishing the cathedral and relocating it stone by stone across the Atlantic Ocean would be the icing on his cake.
This unnamed property developer, who didn’t wish to reveal his name, hails from Fall River, Massachusetts. In the 19th century, this was the birthplace of America’s textile industry. It attracted many workers from Blackburn, who emigrated there to work in this industry during the 19th and early 20th century.
Fall River was also a pioneer in American Association football and even had a team called Rovers. They won the American Cup in 1888 and 1889 and their National Challenge Cup in 1917. The town also had a team called Fall River Olympics, possibly as homage to Blackburn Olympic. Its most well-known resident was Lizzie Borden, who allegedly killed both her parents with an axe!
This practice of shipping buildings from Britain across the pond is not a new concept. Stately homes have actually been sent across by ship, with stones and bricks numbered so they could be reassembled. Perhaps the most famous case of this kind of relocation was the situation with the old London Bridge. Parts of this were shipped across to the USA and reassembled in a desert in Arizona. Various stories are associated with this, saying its buyer made a mistake and thought he was buying Tower Bridge, but this has always been denied.
Shipping Blackburn Cathedral may be a bridge too far, due to its size and challenging logistics. There is also how far down you go with its crypts and catacombs. There has been a church on the cathedral site for over a thousand years. Plus, an estimated 30,000 people are buried in its immediate vicinity. Perhaps sticking to building a remake of St John’s Tavern might be a cheaper and far more realistic alternative for this American property developer.
The author also used to love going in the Tavern. His Great Uncle Ernie was killed in the First World War. When hostilities ended, Ernie’s widow and daughter emigrated to Fall River.
