Pennsylvania Couple's Decade-Long Journey Turning $40,000 Church into Family Home
In 2015, Priscilla Houliston was browsing Craigslist for garden items when she stumbled upon a listing that would change her life forever. The advertisement simply read: 'Church for sale.' Priced at just $40,000, the 62-year-old from Locust Gap, Pennsylvania, made what she describes as an 'impulsive' purchase while her husband Morton, 59, was at work.
From Congregation Space to Chic Living Quarters
The church, originally constructed in 1870, presented both immense challenges and unique opportunities. The Houlistons have transformed the three-level structure into a remarkable family home over the past decade. The main living area occupies what was once the congregation space on the second floor, where over a hundred worshippers once gathered.
This 6,000-square-foot area now features:
- Two bedrooms and two bathrooms
- Two separate kitchen areas
- A dining room, library, and living room
- A dedicated television room
- A distinctive 'tiki room' for entertainment
'There is also a stage level at the north end that leads to the former vestry which we call the "cemetery studio" because I use it as an art studio and all the windows face the cemetery behind the church,' Priscilla explained during a recent interview.
Family Spaces and Hidden Mysteries
The bottom floor, measuring approximately 2,400 square feet, has been converted into a comfortable apartment for their son. This space includes an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area, two additional bedrooms, and one bathroom. 'Also on that level is a massive crawl space and basement at the north end of the building that houses our oil furnace and four oil tanks,' Priscilla added, noting the area's historical use for storing bodies when the ground was too frozen for burial.
The third level, formerly the choir and organ room, now serves as a 1,400-square-foot loft for their grandson. The bell tower contains two additional floors and what the couple describes as a 'secret room at the base' that remains inaccessible. 'We are hoping to get inside the secret room this year but it requires hiring the proper professionals to do so as it is behind walls that are three foot thick,' she revealed.
Substantial Challenges and Creative Solutions
The renovation journey has been far from smooth. Immediately after purchase, the couple faced a $53,000 roof replacement. With their finances depleted, they endured two winters without functioning heating, sleeping in layers and using sleeping bags for warmth. 'It was a lot like camping only indoors,' Priscilla recalled. 'It was so cold inside the church that our glass coffee pot froze and shattered one night.'
Once the furnace was repaired, they encountered another obstacle: astronomical heating costs. A single month's oil bill reached $1,600, prompting them to install a biomass stove that burns wood to heat their main living space.
The church's architectural features presented additional complications. The 25-foot-high ceilings, while aesthetically impressive, made renovations exceptionally difficult. Painting alone consumed what Priscilla estimates to be over 200 gallons of paint, with the couple losing count after 168 gallons. 'The sheer scale meant that for the first two years my days were occupied with painting, a task I never thought would end,' she noted.
A Labor of Love with Lasting Rewards
Despite the ongoing maintenance requirements—changing lightbulbs requires careful planning, and Priscilla acknowledges they'll likely be 'working on the church the rest of their lives'—the couple expresses no regrets. The unique character and history of their unconventional home make every challenge worthwhile.
'Looking back I know it was the love of this old church and wanting to save it and turn it into our forever home that really kept me going,' Priscilla reflected. Their decade-long transformation stands as a testament to vision, perseverance, and the extraordinary possibilities hidden in unexpected places.
