Crystal Ward Kent Photography by Ralph Morang

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Tucked down on the quiet, narrow end of Court Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is one of the most stunning buildings in the city. An elegant white structure with broad stone steps, wrought-iron rails and gracefully arched doors, it is flanked by tall shade trees and harbors a tiny, secret garden out back. Like many Portsmouth structures, it has a past, although this one is a bit unusual.

Built in 1857 as a Unitarian chapel, the building served the faithful for more than a century. In the early 1960s, it served a Pentecostal congregation, but a decade later, ceased being a church altogether. Some time after that, it fell into grave disrepair until purchased by Kate Irving in 1997. Kate planned to convert the church into a combination living space and art gallery.

AFTER: The condo’s kitchen is dominated by a large island, and a striking rack of pots and pans that hangs above. The living room section is cozy, with sofas and a clear glass coffee table grouped around the fireplace (not shown). There is a great sense of airiness and light.

“Kate really saw the building’s possibilities,” says Nancy Grigor, present owner and designer of the building’s latest use as upscale condominiums. “At the time she bought it, the building was very run down. There was no upstairs—when you walked in, there was just one big open space, plus a small cluster of rooms that had been the coat closet, the minister’s office and a bathroom. Kate invested considerable funds in making the building sound as well as restoring its beauty. She had great vision.”

Kate saw to it that the stone foundation was repointed; she added steel reinforcing beams to the structural timbers and also created a second floor. The basement ceilings were too low, so she excavated the floor to add 3 1⁄2 feet more height to the room.

Stone steps lead up to elegant arched doors, which are from the original church. The soft, gray hue gives the structure a more contemporary feel, yet goes with its classic appearance. Photo by Jim Abts of Hamilton, Massachusetts.

Stone steps lead up to elegant arched doors, which are from the original church. The soft, gray hue gives the structure a more contemporary feel, yet goes with its classic appearance. Photo by Jim Abts of Hamilton, Massachusetts.

A few of the original interior mahogany church doors remained, so Kate restored them, then scoured salvage yards to find doors that matched. When she added new stairways, connecting basement to first floor and first to second, she gave them mahogany rails.

What the renovation changed
Today, thanks to Kate’s early work and Nancy’s additional design of the condominiums, the building and its units are striking.

The entrance to the condominiums immediately catches the eye. The new stone steps lead up to the elegant arched doors, which are from the original church. On either side, lovely wrought-iron carriage lanterns frame the entry. Upon entering, you are in what was once the church lobby. Golden hardwood floors give the area warmth, but the it is the lofty ceiling that commands the room. Doors to the first floor unit are off to the right, while a graceful, curving stairway leads to the second floor. The broad pedestal steps fan out like a scallop shell. Tucked into an alcove in the stairway wall is a nod to the building’s past, as the sculpture of a monk called Cardinal Sin watches over the lobby.

The first floor unit is striking, with eleven-foot ceilings and high, curved church windows letting in lots of light. “It took me seven months to have the downstairs condo renovated,” says Nancy. “We also added some additional structural touches, central air conditioning and a nice little outdoor patio.”

The main basement room is a combination den/music room with cozy sofas, rich burgundy walls and a piano as the focal point.
Everything in the first floor unit fits perfectly in its space. Proceeding down the entry corridor you pass double mahogany doors that tactfully conceal a deluxe washer and dryer. Just beyond the laundry, a tiny bathroom is tucked into the wall. Nancy brought in artist Giuseppe Mancini of Portsmouth to create marbleizing on the bathroom walls in a rich golden pattern and even a faux church pillar in one corner. A miniature sink, the size of a mixing bowl, perfectly suits the snug space, which is both elegant and efficient.

“The hardest thing was finding that tiny sink,” chuckles Nancy. “Anything bigger and it wouldn’t have fit in the room.”

The main basement room is a combination den/music room with cozy sofas, rich burgundy walls and a piano as the focal point.

Just beyond the bathroom is Nancy’s office, painted a deep cinnamon color and filled with cozy furniture, bookcases and light from those lovely windows. Millie, a black cocker spaniel, snoozes comfortably on her dog bed in one corner. Classic French doors separate the office from the living areas.

Across the hall the space opens up into a breathtaking sweep of a room, which combines the kitchen, dining and living areas. The original church columns remain, some freestanding, while others have walls or cabinets built around them.

Their pure white beauty gives them the air of sculpture, rather than structural assets. They fit perfectly with the room’s new design.

The entire room is done in deep taupe, which offsets the white columns and moldings. White is a recurring accent color, appearing in the rustic Shaker-style kitchen cabinets, in the living area bookcases and fireplace mantle and in some furniture.

At the back of the room, glass doors open onto a small balcony. “Where the balcony is now, the pulpit once stood,” explains Nancy. “I had it removed, and added a balcony to this floor and the second floor. It’s now one of my favorite parts of the house.”

Nancy points out the balcony railings, which are hand-milled mahogany, made from one piece of wood. “The decks curve, and the railings follow that curve,” she explains. “Milling the mahogany from one piece is very difficult—there are no glued places—and this railing is a real piece of craftsmanship. Yet, this simple curved balcony is very much in keeping with the look of the building. Something too ornate or too modern would have looked out of place.”

Down the hall, what were once the minister’s office, bathroom and coatroom, has been turned into a guestroom and bathroom. The guest bath is done all in white with hints of pale gold; one of the old church lights, a large saucer shape of luminescent white, hangs from the ceiling.

Kate Irving, the original renovator, was careful to keep the church’s striking free-standing columns, but a great deal of other work had to be done. The living space was one large open area that had to be divided into rooms. Steel reinforcing beams were added to the structural timbers, a second floor was created and the stone foundation was repointed. Although she maintained the look of the church windows, Kate replaced the glass.

Kate Irving, the original renovator, was careful to keep the church’s striking free-standing columns, but a great deal of other work had to be done. The living space was one large open area that had to be divided into rooms. Steel reinforcing beams were added to the structural timbers, a second floor was created and the stone foundation was repointed. Although she maintained the look of the church windows, Kate replaced the glass.

“We’ve kept the church lights where we could,” says Nancy. “They are beautiful fixtures, and it would have been a crime to waste them.”

Down in the finished basement, one can see the foundation of the church. The massive stone walls have been incorporated into the design of the rooms, creating impressive and unusual wall art. “The foundation is sixteen inches thick,” marvels Nancy. “You don’t see work like this anymore.”

The main basement room is a combination den/music room, with cozy plush sofas, rich burgundy walls and a piano as the focal point. Glassed-in bookcases and shelves with other musical items line the walls. A fitness room and bath complete the finished part of the basement.

At opposing ends of the basement are utility rooms that fully show the underpinnings of the church. Here you can see where a brick foundation partially overlays the stonework at the front of the church. Look up and you see the massive beams forming the bones of the building. “The craftsmanship in this building is unbelievable,” says Nancy. “Even with all the flooding rains we had last spring, the basement stayed tight and dry. When you look at the timbers, you can see how the joists are hand-fitted to the stone walls. They had to be hand-cut individually to set in properly.”

The upstairs condo is currently divided into two units, but will be sold as one. It features the same striking pillars, lovely windows and flowing space as the downstairs condo. Mahogany doors are used throughout, and the upstairs also has a set of built-in double doors that are original to the church. These currently separate a small den from one kitchen. A few of the unique church lights are also featured upstairs.

Nancy, who specializes in real estate development, believes she has found her new calling. “I had been doing some renovation as a hobby,” she smiles. “But after seeing how well this project came out and how intriguing it was, I think I’ve found a new line of work. I love this space. Just because it stopped being a church didn’t mean it couldn’t have a new life. It’s been a privilege to help bring out the beauty of this building.”

Resources
Pam Weston-Smith of Area Kitchens in Portsmouth, N.H.; 603 436-9193
Giuseppe Mancini in Portsmouth, N.H.;
603 969-9996
Nancy Grigor in Portsmouth, N.H;
603 557-5949
Dave Rowell in Eliot, Maine; 603 765-5431, Damon Smith in Eliot, Maine;
207 752-0788.
Wakita Electric in Shapleigh, Maine;
207 651-5327

Crystal Ward Kent’s work has appeared in Yankee Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul and Guideposts Books, among other publications. She owns Kent Creative, an award-winning agency in Portsmouth that provides writing, design and marketing services, and is author of Mainely Kids: A Guide to Family Fun in Southern Maine. She can be reached at cryskent@earthlink.net.

Ralph Morang has worked for both weekly newspapers and the Portsmouth Herald. A freelancer for more than ten years, Ralph sells stock images from his Web site, www.newenglandphoto.com.