The Potential of Acquiring a Church
November 28th, 2022 | Back to Blog Listing

The front part of the sanctuary space
I've spent the past many years looking at warehouses, old elementary schools, firehouses, and churches. There's something about the idea of having the giant open space that greatly appeals to me - in particular for recording music. I'm an extremely project-oriented kind of person. I'm always working on some form of my software, or music, or woodworking, or electronics, or any other number of outlets dear to my personality. So the idea of being able to restore such a large space on a historic building is extremely enticing.

I've been interested in historic restoration for most of my adult life and a historic church certainly presents that opportunity. This particular church is absolutely amazing. It sits on several acres atop a hill just outside of the mountains and national forest. I'm extremely confident that I could restore it so that it serves as a historic landmark for a very long time to come.

The church itself is attached to one of the town's cemeteries and it would be my great honor to enclose it in such a way so that the cemetery too remains preserved for generations to come.

I found this particular church for sale awhile back and began entertaining the idea of purchasing it. The giant open sanctuary space would be the most incredible recording space I could possibly imagine. There are a number of rather well-known singer/songwriters who have done the same thing, perhaps most notably Ani DiFranco. This church already has a stage built into it, is already wired for speakers, and the 10 arced windows allow an amazing amount of light into the sanctuary space itself.

So when I saw this church, I immediately thought of the potential it had to be restored by somebody who would put great time and care into that. Not to mention, this church actually has a pipe organ built into it which is something I've dreamt of acquiring for decades now. I had the pleasure of playing the pipe organ in the National Cathedral of Nelson, New Zealand some 20 years ago and the memory has stuck with me.


A look at the inner part of the sanctuary with the pipe organ pipes visible on the back wall


There's still a lot to work out. I have to run all of the numbers and ensure that the property is properly inspected, but it's definitely a potential front-runner.

While it's sad that the community is losing their church, I'm extremely confident that I'd be able to restore it to such a condition that the former congregation would be happy to know it's being so well cared for.


An outside view of the edge of the cemetery


I'm not sure if the church comes with all robes that are currently hanging inside of it, but I'd certainly ask for them in the sale given the chance.

Update: I've confirmed that all of the contents currently within the church are being sold with the church. So I would very much look forward to preserving whatever I could.