Keeper of the steeple
By Matt Artz
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 9:39 am in Uncategorized.
When I found out last year The Argus was moving to Centerville, I should have placed odds on how long I could go without doing a story centered around Mr. Centerville Dirk Lorenz.
I lasted nearly three months.
The story in today’s paper has it roots in the Argus’ move. While I was digging through old files, I found a photo of small white church. On the back was a message, written, “To Dirk.” I figured there’s only one Dirk in Fremont, so I walked it over to his wife’s diner.
She told me it was the original Centerville Presbyterian Church, built in 1853, engulfed by flames in 1993 and torn down the next year. She and Dirk had their wedding reception in the cemetery and asked guests to donate money to help rebuild the church, which is still a long way from happening.
Before the church came down, Lorenz and other folks removed the steeple and Lorenz has been storing it ever since, waiting for the day when it would return atop the rebuilt church.
Sadly the steeple has seen better days. It blew over in a windstorm last year and is nearly unrecognizable. But Dirk, whose grandfather painted the steeple and whose family attended the church for three generations, says it could all be reassembled quite easily.
Here are Dirk and the steeple in 2001:
And here they are now:
And here is a video of Dirk talking about it:
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March 10th, 2010 at 11:59 am
As much as I like Dirk Lorenz, he really needs to get his head on straight. He is always running around town with this issue or that.
I don’t think Mr. Lorenz is very practical and he is definitely inconsistent. For one, I disagree that the old Naz can be a community performing center. It is an astounding amount of money that Dirk Lorenz wants to spend on it, especially at a time where that money could be put to better use. The center has no parking space and nobody is going to come to centerville for it period.
Second, he is a not a good businessman. He is always changing locations or trying to do something different. He loves to get all of the attention. First, he was in Irvington, then he was on Fremont Boulvard, then he went to the Creamery, and now he is back at this old location. What the heck? Make up your mind.
Unfortunately, he has persuaded some council members to go along with him. This is to everyone’s detriment. Now, I hear he is posturing to be appointed for the city council seat (if it is vacated by Wiecowski if he wins). This would be to everyone’s detriment. We don’t need someone like him with many different agendas and conflicts of interest running this town.
THis steeple thing is another one of those things that Dirk Lorenz is now trying to pitch and persuade the city council.
Again, as much as we all like him, we just don’t think that Dirk Lorenz is stable in anything he does. Sorry Dirk.
March 10th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
I like Dirk, but He is a character. I do not think I want him as a City Council Member.
You can catch His act on channel 27, Planning Commission meeting.
Besides Wiekowski is not going to win so it is all about nothing.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Like everything else arguments both for and against the idea of light rail can be found in mass quantities by doing a Google search. This link contains a little of both.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/keyword/light-rail
March 13th, 2010 at 7:42 am
So Dirk and his wife asked their wedding guests to donate money to help rebuild the church. Wonder where that money went. Dirk seems to always be broke.
He also managed to worm his way on to the Planning Commission. That explains a lot of the insanity we’ve seen in our tax dollars being given to fellow members of Fremont’s good ‘ole boy/girl network. It’s “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” – except the money they’re passing around to each other is ours.
March 13th, 2010 at 8:48 am
Eyesbright, you have bright eyes!
March 13th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Come to think of it, following Fremont’s City Manager, Mayor & Council’s politics (or should I say Fredmont politics?) is kind of like a steeplechase!
At our expense.
March 15th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
The money from our wedding resides with the Centerville Presbyterian Church. We requested a special fund be set up to hold any and all gifts/donations. I am unsure of its current balance, as I assume it has had some interest income. To my knowledge, it has not been touched in the 8 years of blissful marriage my wife and I enjoy. We have never asked the city or redevelopment for any money for this steeple restoration. It would be privately funded by those who might want to give. In my view, it is not an appropriate redevelopment project, nor would I expect the city to contribute funds. It is on private property owned by the Presbyterian Church Diocese in San Francisco….I believe. I would love someone to help with grant writing to see if money can be found from some historical foundation. I have a fondness for history…therefore my interest in this property. Also…Matt said my grandfather painted the church…but it was actually my great grandfather. He passed in 1932, died from lead poisoning. My grandmother wrote a story in her early 20′s about her experiences at “the little white church”. It provides a glimps of what Centerville was like in 1918- 1930. Thus the basis for my passion for Centerville. You may now see why I am so crazy about this area. It runs deep in my veins. If anyone would like to see a copy of my grandmothers story…let me know. I would love to share.