Amen for Affordability! A Former New York Church Is Available for $359K
Realtor.com
For a buyer on the hunt for a divine dwelling, we’ve found an opportunity in upstate New York. This building on a corner lot in the small town of Guilford is simply heavenly.
The 1,784-square-foot structure began its life as a church, was then transformed into a restaurant, and is now a single-family home.
On the market for $359,000, the converted chapel awaits its next owner.
“This [building] replaced an old wooden 1800s church that sat on the same foundation and burned down in the 1920s,” explains listing agent Jonathan Dokuchitz, with Keller Williams. “They rebuilt this church in the 1930s out of stone, because they wanted this one to last.”
Today, the old stone church features an open layout with plenty of seating, a large bar, one bathroom, and a bedroom-type area where the altar used to be. It’s city-style loft living, about three hours north of New York City.
“With these particular places, some people just can’t wrap their head around that; and then you’ll find people who think this is like a Manhattan loft, and you’re just sleeping next to the living spaces,” Dokuchitz says. “It comes down to finding those individuals who aren’t used to just cookie-cutter and traditional types of houses.”
Front exteriorKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
EntryKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
EntryKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
Living space with a barKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
InteriorKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
Stained-glass windowKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
Most of the building’s windows are clear-glass arches, while two intricate stained-glass windows truly shine.
Dokuchitz says church operations ceased in the 1990s. At some point, the building became a restaurant called Divine Times. The restaurant closed in 2017, when the current owners bought the building and renovated the space.
The restaurant kitchen was transformed into a laundry area and mudroom, the roof was replaced, and the property is in “pristine shape,” Dokuchitz says.
Aerial viewKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
Laundry roomKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
KitchenKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
The purchase price includes all the furnishings in the church and in two custom buildings on the one-acre property. Currently used as studios by the owners, those smaller buildings could be finished by the next owner.
“They don’t have plumbing, but they have full electric. And then the red one has a wood stove in it,” Dokuchitz says. He thinks the sheds offer a nice contrast to the church.
“I like them because they kind of give a little tiny-home feel that juxtaposes the stateliness of the church,” he says. “You’ve got these two little, modern outbuildings that kind of balance the aura of the property. It feels like a little park.”
The property is zoned for residential use, but it could be zoned commercial again if a new owner desired—maybe for a brewpub or a way station for weary travelers.
“When you walk into the home itself, you just kind of have this really wonderful feeling of peacefulness,” Dokuchitz says. “I don’t know if the church is influencing that; but if it is, it’s influencing it in a good way.”
Shed interiorKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
Shed interiorKeller Williams Upstate NY Pro
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