By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
WAKEENEY — For 75 years, Immanuel Lutheran Church in WaKeeney — home to a congregation that was first formed in 1925 — was a part of the community. But with dwindling Sunday morning attendance, the decision was made last year to sell the building as parishioners found new places to worship.
While often old churches fall into disrepair, ultimately to be razed, one local couple instead saw an opportunity to preserve the legacy of the church — and create a unique spot for travelers of all sorts to find the comforts of home.
David and Tami Green purchased the building at 438 Main and recently completed a full remodel, turning the historic structure into a one-of-a-kind vacation rental within walking distance of downtown WaKeeney.
An open house is planned from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday allowing area residents to see the completed work in what is now the appropriately named Kirch Haus — translated from German, "church house."
“We wanted to preserve the building so it can live another hopefully another 100 years and draw people to WaKeeney,” Tami said.
Buying the structure was a quick process for David after he saw the for sale sign in the early days of 2021.
“I came and looked at it,” he said. “And we made an offer, and they accepted it in like 12 hours. I mean, it was boom, boom, boom, and it happened.”
Along with the sale of the building, they also purchased the furniture and materials inside. They made use of it, including as many articles and artifacts as possible during the remodel.
“It had all the pews in it,” David said. “It had all the 'churchy' things.”
Now, the space honors the building’s legacy coupled with modern conveniences.
But working to create a home in the old church required more than just moving furniture.
The biggest part of the project included a new ceiling and restoration of the original hardwood floors.
“The floor had carpet and the ceiling had all those ceiling tiles,” David said, “so, it all had to come up and out.”
Doing the bulk of the work themselves, replacing the old ceiling tiles with wood boards took six weeks. It would take another six to remove the carpet and glue from the floors, exposing the original hardwood flooring.
Old electric wiring was also replaced, as new rooms were built in what was the sanctuary, and new plumbing was installed to create a new kitchen and bathrooms.
The finished product is a facility that will sleep 12, with seven beds in five bedrooms, three full and one-half baths across 2,160 square feet.
While the project was just recently completed, reviews from those who have stayed in the building already have been glowing.
And the community has also been overwhelmingly supportive of the building’s new look and purpose.
“We have a lot of interest from the local community,” Tami said. “In fact, when we were doing it, when it got to be warmer, we just left that door front door open. And we probably had three or four tours a day.”
“A couple of the old parishioners came in and said, 'What you are doing is awesome,' ” David said.
For more information about The Kirch Haus or to book a stay, visit the listing on vrbo.com.
