DETROIT (WXYZ) — A local couple has purchased a historic church in Detroit's Indian Village with plans to make it into their home.
For 15 years, what was St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church, then Mount Olive East Missionary Baptist Church, has sat vacant.
However, in February, the couple plans to break ground and start their home renovations.
I got a look inside the church for a sneak peak of what was, and what will soon be.
"I was like, 'wow, what if we made this our house?'" Rachel Nelson said.
Nelson is an interior designer, and her husband, Joe Trobaugh, is a Roseville elementary school principal. They're the ones who purchased the 1949 church and will turn it into the home.
"I remember him saying, 'if we don’t try, we’ll always regret it, let’s do it,'" Nelson said.
Don't be fooled. The prospect of buying and transforming a significant property like this is not easy.
"(It's a) little bit of a challenging process," Trobaugh said.
But as the CEO of a Detroit-based interior design firm, Concetti, Nelson was prepared.
"We had to respond to the RFQ, request for qualifications, explain who we are, and then design the space," Nelson said.
With the Detroit Land Bank Authority and the Detroit Historic District Commission's approval, the couple closed in December, purchasing the church for $390,600. It had sat vacant for 15 years, and now, the fun will begin.
"We are going to see a double staircase that is going to wrap up to a second floor," Nelson said.
"Rachel plans to transform this into a library, a meditation room," Trobaugh added.
"As they wrap up, we’re going to have the kitchen tucked underneath the stairs with a centrally-located island," Nelson added.
Renderings show what this home is planned to look like in 18 months.
Nelson and Trobaugh say it's integral to them to maintain the history of the church through their renovations.
"Being it’s a historic property, the windows need to stay," Nelson said.
At one point, this was the home of a Lutheran church, then a Baptist church, but it's always been a community gathering space. Both say it's future isn't really that different.
They're most excited to host future neighbors, family and friends in their dream neighborhood in their dream home.
"It’s really cool that the day has arrived, and in a way, that I never could have imagined, it’s better than what I ever could have imagined," Nelson said.
On Feb. 4, Nelson and Trobaugh are holding an open house for the community members to see the church. Their only requirement to get in is that you bring a donation for Detroit Dog Rescue.
