A Lutheran church in rural Home, Kansas served as the venue for worship sessions, marriages, and other events from 1885 until the early 2000s.
After then, it closed and reopened as a company.
And the old church was turned into a house in 2020.
“That was my plan; I thought I was going to be here forever,” Midwest Land and Home owner and selling agent Jessica Leis explains. “I’m happy here.”
However, she had to relist the exquisitely unique space due to personal reasons. The asking price of the 1,812-square-foot house is $265,000.
‘My next calling’
Leis claims, “It feels like home inside, even though it looks like a church from the outside.” “It fills me with pride and happiness knowing that many people treasured it and used it as a place to worship, gather, and create memories.” Instead of it being abandoned, I’ve given it new life and purpose.
After purchasing the church at auction in 2012, the previous owner had the building restored and the mechanicals updated. For a brief years, it was operated as a company.
After the company closed, Leis bought the space and made the decision to turn it into a house.
“I’m among those who find it objectionable to conform, and I have no problem standing out,” Leis explains. “I’m unique. I just kept telling my family that I felt compelled to give the building a new use because I could not bear to see it left abandoned or wasted. I felt like it was my next calling in life.
The end product is a charming, well-updated three-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom home that she refers to as a “chhouse” (or church-house).
“I thought the idea was really straightforward,” adds Leis, who outfitted the pulpit area with a kitchen. “I just needed the sink, cabinets and other fixtures installed.”
Plumbing was also required by her to create a laundry room. She also renovated a bathroom to include a shower and vanity. The main bedroom is housed in the church’s 1969 expansion.
The house also boasts a basement, a crucial addition in Kansas, a state prone to tornadoes.
Leis just invested around $55,000 in a brand-new detached garage.
She claims, “I built it for me and what I wanted, so I spared no expense and had no intention of selling.”
The bell in the building’s belltower is still there, but it is quiet.
According to Leis, “there were some structural integrity questions because of rot and things that needed to be maintained or updated when the previous owner gutted [the church].” “Therefore, as you drive by, you can see the bell that she had hoisted with a crane. They needed to stop it on iron bars after pulling it up.
Leis, who was up nearby, claims that the church played a significant role in the about 100-person unorganised community. Although she is sorry to be selling it, she is hopeful that new owners who share her passion for the unique house will purchase it.
According to Leis, “every ceiling in the main area is original and dates back to 1885. It’s beautiful and full of character.” Nothing comparable to it is available for purchase now. I hope and pray that the next person to call this property home will recognise its special qualities.
