Pennsylvania couple transform abandoned 1893 Catholic church into a 3,420 sq-ft family home with a kitchen where altar once stood, and choir loft turned into a bedroom

A church may contain decades of memories in its walls, but what happens when its congregation moves on, and the building goes silent? In Landenberg, Pennsylvania, a former Catholic church that once welcomed worshippers has found a new purpose as a family home, complete with a kitchen where the altar once stood, restored stained-glass windows and a bedroom carved out of the choir loft.

The former St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church dates back to 1893. After years of serving its rural community, it was repurposed as an artist’s home and studio before eventually sitting vacant. A couple who came across the property while house-hunting saw potential in its unusual architecture and decided to give the building another chapter. The transformation was documented by Houzz in March 2025.

From A Forgotten Church To A 3,420-Square-Foot Home

The couple did not originally set out to buy a church. However, the building’s character won them over, despite visible signs of deterioration, including peeling exterior paint, a failing roof and rotting timber.


The renovation brought together architect Carrie Foster of Foster Design Farm, interior designers Studio IQL and builder David W. Bard Carpenter Builder. The church’s original footprint remained intact, while carefully considered changes made the building suitable for modern family life. Today, the 3,420-square-foot property has three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms. Its buttery-yellow exterior recalls the building’s historic appearance, while a new metal roof, repaired foundations and updated windows help prepare it for continued use.

Where The Altar Once Stood, There Is Now A Kitchen

One of the most striking changes is inside the former sanctuary. The altar area has become a kitchen, raised slightly above the adjoining living and dining spaces. A low wall and the original railing help distinguish the zones without dividing the large room. The former congregation’s seating area now serves as an expansive gathering space, with a dining table at its centre. The room measures approximately 34 feet by 54 feet and has a ceiling rising 22 feet above the floor.

Rather than erase the building’s history, the renovation incorporates it into the design. Six original stained-glass windows in the main space were painstakingly restored, while the pressed-tin ceiling was painted bronze, leaving a small section untouched to reveal its original finish. A salvaged metal cabinet from another historic Philadelphia church also found a place in the home.

A Choir Loft Becomes A Bedroom

The conversion also gave the former choir loft a new role. The space was enlarged to accommodate the main bedroom, with a projecting bay overlooking the central living area. A copper soaking bath and handmade green tiles bring contemporary comforts to the adjoining bathroom, while the original Gothic arch detailing remains part of the design.

Other parts of the building have been reimagined with similar care. A former sacristy now serves as a mudroom with a dog-washing station, and original confessionals have been retained as closets near a guest suite known as the “chapel bedroom”. The owners also incorporated a stained-glass window salvaged from an 1887 Philadelphia church, giving another historic feature a place in the renovated property.

How The Owners Made The Historic Building More Energy-Efficient

Preserving the church’s appearance was only part of the challenge. Large, high-ceilinged rooms can be difficult to heat and cool, so the couple also prioritised energy efficiency. The property previously relied on propane heating. The renovation introduced a geothermal heat-pump system, with pipes for radiant heating installed beneath the floor of the main sanctuary. Updated windows and improved insulation were also incorporated, while solar panels were planned for elsewhere on the property.

The approach is a part of a larger architectural conversation about how to repurpose historic buildings rather than let them fall apart. In ArchDaily’s 2025 look at church conversions, the publication outlined how architects are finding ways to retain the historic character of former places of worship, while adapting them for contemporary living.

A new chapter for a historic building

Landenberg is part of a larger problem for historic churches: how to practically maintain buildings when they no longer serve their original purpose. But planning restrictions and costly renovations can make conversions difficult, The Times reported in July 2026, with dwindling congregations and rising repair costs pushing more former places of worship toward alternative uses. For this Pennsylvania couple, the result is more than an unconventional home. By keeping the church’s defining features while adapting its interior for everyday life, they have preserved a piece of local architectural history and given it a new role centred on family, friends and gathering together.