St. Petersburg historic church-turned-home set to sell for $1.3 million

A historic St. Petersburg church that has been renovated into a state-of-the-art home is slated to close later this week for about $1.3 million.

Although it’s been renovated, the home isn’t for those looking to shy away from its previous use — the first thing its new residents will see when they sit up in bed is a stained glass window of Jesus across the hall, according to the listing agent, Bryan Belcher.

It also features historic exposed scissor trusses and comes with a few pews thrown in.

“It’s such a unique property. As soon as you walk in through the front door into the main great room, it’s just ‘wow,’ because of how high the ceilings are,” said Belcher, who works for Coastal Properties Group.

The church at 801 28th Ave. N was built in 1928. Bluewater Builders St. Pete bought it in 2018 for $580,000, intending to tear it down and use its four lots to erect new homes, Belcher said.

Instead, it demolished part of the structure and got rid of the parking lot to build three new houses, but kept the original church intact. The developer converted it into a 3,508-square-foot, four-bedroom, three and one-half-bath home, with a kitchen featuring new appliances, quartz countertops and an island that seats six.

In the great room are original restored hanging lanterns, now with LED lights, and original stained glass windows. Outside, there’s a new saltwater pool.

The renovations quickly paid off.

The property went on the market late last month. At 9 a.m., the first prospective buyers arrived to take a look. They sent Belcher an offer within 30 minutes and now have the property under contract, he said.

“The builder put high-end finishes on it that put it over the top,” Belcher said.

Follow trends affecting the local economy

Subscribe to our free Business by the Bay newsletter

We’ll break down the latest business and consumer news and insights you need to know every Wednesday.

Loading...

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Angie Conner, president of the Crescent Heights Neighborhood Association, said the renovations were the result of the developer working with members of the Baptist church, called the American Church of the Beatitudes, after they sold the property, as well as the neighborhood association and preservationists, to save the original structure.

The night before it was listed on the market, neighborhood residents were allowed to come in and tour the renovated property. Conner sent out an email blast and posted it on Facebook and Nextdoor. She expected a couple dozen people to show up.

Instead, there was a line wrapped around the block for more than an hour. One person in line was the granddaughter of the church’s original pastor, from when it was the Grace Lutheran Church, she said.

“It was really kind of thrilling and exciting,” Conner said. “It really was the result of the neighborhood working together.”