Church Construction Continues Beyond Belief

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 by Branden Klayko.
The Church (Photo courtesy Joanne Weeter)

The Church (Photo courtesy Joanne Weeter)



It’s been a little while since we checked in with the holy conversion on East Main Street and Shelby Street in Butchertown.  Pip Pullen and Susan Swope have been working to transform the former Marcus Lindsay Church into just The Church and plan on calling the building home.  I had a chance to tour the building on a late October afternoon with light pouring in from all sides and casting a warm glow on the construction scene inside.


The tour began with an inspection of the new color scheme being applied to the exterior of the building.  Three subtle shades of taupe and brown are replacing the peeling white paint and were chosen to accentuate the depth of the masonry building facade.  Walking around the structure, the new paint, uncovered stained glass windows, and repaired brick reveal an already noteworthy change to the 19th century building.


Inside, Pip Pullen explained how framed partitions still lacking drywall would create a condo dubbed the Sacristy.  The most characteristic feature of the dwelling is the rich wooden paneling found throughout the Church.  Operational wooden pull-down doors in the kitchen have been saved and will be restored and a master bedroom, bathroom, and dressing room all feature ornate woodwork.  When complete, the unit will offer a modern kitchen combined with all the best details of the historic building.


Inside the sanctuary

Inside the sanctuary


Moving into the sanctuary, the afternoon light really came into full effect.  Pip says the original plan was to create condos in this vast space, but because of its intense beauty, the current plan is to leave it open perhaps for offices or some other commercial use.  The extremely tall vaulted ceiling and plentiful windows should make any tenant divinely happy.


Tucked in the back of the the building is a 900 square foot apartment that Pip says will be ready to rent by early next year.  Each space in the development has a uniquely defining character.  The Sacristy has its woodwork, the Sanctuary has its ceiling and windows, and this apartment features several original stone and brick walls that create a beautiful texture.


Finally, the tour reaches the space that Pip and Susan are building for themselves.  The large unit is situated in the oldest portion of the Church and strives to bring the historic structure into harmony with a modern sensibility.  Perhaps the most dramatic feature of Pip and Susan’s condo is a river running right through the middle of it.  This modern element not only provides an unexpected detail in an old building, but helps to delineate the public and private spaces of the dwelling.


A grand living room will feature modern built-in furniture and a fireplace while glass walls will partition off a private home office.  Upstairs, the master bedroom is perched between massive timber rafters that feel extremely strong when placed at eye level.  Pip and Susan’s vision of their home has been focused by architect Jeff Rawlins of Architectural Artisans and is sure to be a show place when complete in December.


By now, the drywall has gone up as construction progresses and the spaces are undoubtedly looking more finished.  A web site is planned for The Church and Pip says it should go online soon.  The development has already been a marketing wonder, though, and The Church has recently secured its own blend of coffee “intelligently designed” by Highland Coffee Company.




A river running through the owner''s condo

A river running through the owner''s condo


Inside the sachristy

Inside the sacristy


Sacred Grounds Coffee (Photo courtesy Pip Pullen)

Sacred Grounds Coffee (Photo courtesy Pip Pullen)



9 Comments. Now we're talking!
  1. Venterra

    November 10th, 2009

    8:57 pm

    Thumb up 0

    This beautiful Space is available for Lease!

  2. mike mc

    November 11th, 2009

    1:23 pm

    Thumb up 0

    that is amazing. im so glad no one stopped the reuse of this building on ‘fundamental’ grounds.

  3. Pip

    November 13th, 2009

    5:27 am

    Thumb up 0

    There’s only been one comment made in a year about this being sacrilegious — and it was quickly torn apart by dozens of others.

  4. Larry

    November 19th, 2009

    10:55 pm

    Thumb up 0

    Very exciting project. I’ve been watching the progress from one street over (the same architect did our remodel) and it is looking great! I’d love to see it when it is done. Every time someone is willing to invest in the community, progress is made to make this a vibrant walkable community…which it should be!

  5. Pip

    November 22nd, 2009

    5:50 pm

    Thumb up 0

    Larry: Let us know when you want a tour.

  6. Larry

    November 25th, 2009

    6:43 pm

    Thumb up 0

    Thanks so much. Paint colors are great. I'll be in touch with Jeff R soon for a tour of the progress. I don't know how the marketing for the units is going, but I tell clients about it on a regular basis.

  7. srca1941

    November 25th, 2009

    9:01 pm

    Thumb up 0

    I just wanted to say how great I think this project is! This church has fascinated me all my life driving by it. It's just such a beautiful building, and as it sat boarded up, I worried that it would be torn down some day.

    I always wondered how it looked inside (and it looks even better than I imagined), so I’m very thankful for the pictures and history posted here, and even more thankful that it has found owners who care so much about it! Can't wait to see it finished!

    -Eric

  8. Pip

    November 26th, 2009

    7:10 am

    Thumb up 0

    Cheers, Eric. The community's been amazingly supportive, as has the city. We hope more people can take these structures and make something wonderful out of them again.

  9. Susan

    November 26th, 2009

    7:39 am

    Thumb up 0

    Most people do understand, but the important thing to remember is that a church is nothing more than the name of a structure or site with a specific purpose, in this case a place where it's congregation came to worship. Any building or place can be sanctified a "church," yet it's the congregation that makes it a place of worship. In this case, once the congregation moved to merge with one larger, the building that once housed it became nothing more than a beautiful shell, one that sat vacant and decaying for years. For a variety of practical reasons, no one could find a purpose for it. This lovely old structure well-deserved a new life and we are happy to be the ones to give it that.

    Repurposing old church buildings may be new to Louisville, but not to Europe, or even larger cities in the US. This is a excellent article covering this very practice, by the way: http://tinyurl.com/y89flx6

Join the Discussion. Leave a Response.

The information in the form below is required, but, don't fret, we won't share your information with anyone. Sometimes our spam protection software freaks out when you put a link in the comments, so if you don't see your response immediately, know it's being held for moderation. You can write whatever you want, but please keep to civil discourse. Ad hominem attacks and other such boondoggery will be removed. If you have any questions, you may peruse our comment policy.

Welcome to the new Broken Sidewalk! As with any major change, there may be a few bugs left to be worked out. Please don't hesitate to tell us if something is wrong. Read about the changes here.

Archives

Categories

Tags

We Support

  • streetsblog.net
  • Urban Design Studio
  • Preservation Louisville

Links

Facebook

brokensidewalk.com © 2010 Broken Sidewalk. All rights reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy
For content usage questions, please review our Copyright Policy or contact bs [at] brokensidewalk [dot] com.
Creative Commons License