Massive Dunedin church listed
Fcolleen.hawkes@stuff.co.nz
or the past few decades we have seen large numbers of small churches listed for sale, as congregations dwindle and maintenance costs soar.
At any one time there are several on the market, many of them already converted into homes.
But it’s only more recently that we have started seeing the larger city churches come onto the market, including this week, for the second time in 15 months, the imposing, heritage-listed St David’s Presbyterian Church in Dunedin.
The church is in the Early English style and has a Historic Place Category 2 listing.
The floor area is a massive 875 square metres, on a 1012sqm site, yet the CV is just $375,000.
Listing agent Leona Munro says Ray White Dunedin has only had the listing for a few days but the firm has already received lots of inquiries.
‘‘It’s going to be a very interesting first weekend of open homes,’’ she says.
The church was designed by architect James Hislop in 1884, with additions, including the bell tower and nave, designed by Edmund Anscombe in 1911. Heritage New Zealand describes it as ‘‘a notable landmark in North East Valley’’, with ‘‘spiritual, historical and architectural significance’’.
‘‘North East Valley started as a small community to the north of Dunedin’s main settlement.
‘‘The Valley’s Presbyterians, cut off from Dunedin by the Water of the Leith and Lindsay’s Creek, had to make quite an expedition to services at Knox Church and so petitioned for their own church,’’ Munro says.
Special, original features of the church include the extensive use of Oamaru stone, a slate roof, kauri and rimu timbers, stained glass windows and a Gothic arched ceiling.
The new owner will also take delivery of all the pews and other church furniture.
The former Sunday School hall at the rear is also included in the sale.
‘‘There are lots of things it could possibly be used for, from a home to accommodation and maybe a cafe,’’ says Munro. ‘‘It does need earthquake strengthening.’’
The agent says the property is for sale by negotiation: ‘‘It is very hard to put a value on it.’’
In February 2018, the church was sold for $212,000 to a private owner, who has not undertaken any development.