The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Condo in antique church
Home is across from Wooster Square Park, resplendent with cherry blossoms
In a converted church, this condo in the Gables at Wooster Square promises a modern lifestyle in a tranquil setting.
St. Casmir’s Lithuanian Catholic Church was built in 1873 for New Haven’s Lithuanian community, said the husband and wife sellers. It became inactive when the community thinned and was de-sanctified.
In the early 2000s, it was transformed into condos.
“The genius of the whole thing was the way the architects and developers decided to make a modern space within an old structure,” the husband said. While some features “are quite modern,” they integrate well with the old structure’s exposed beams.
They purchased the unit before it was completed and were able to personalize, including taking a trip to a local quarry for granite.
“We literally chose this big chunk of granite and it was cut to size to our fireplace,” he said. “When you put the remote control on, it shoots up these beautiful flames that are very minimal, very elegant and they are very warm.”
The unit includes original stained glass, vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, some with original gold leaf.
The ceilings “blew me away,” said Mary Jo Deck, listing agent for Press Cuozzo Real Estate.
Set in Wooster Square, the former church is surrounded by landmark buildings, townhouses, St. Michaels Church and is across the street from Wooster Square Park.
Cherry blossom trees paint the landscape.
“It’s pretty magnificent,” the wife said.
Walking up to the front door is reminiscent of entering a church.
“In fact people have called us saying, ‘Somebody I know got married in that church’ and ‘Is it still open?’” she said.
Inside, there’s a hallway where the knave of the church once stood.
Opening the unit – the third on the left – one finds a foyer with French doors to the study with an 1870s-stained glass window.
The first floor also has a bedroom and bath.
“When our daughter was a teenager she had the downstairs area to herself,” the husband said. “She could have her own life and we could have our own life and we’d meet up on the second floor.”
On the third floor, the master bedroom looks over the city and has a bath with a shower and tub with Italian stone and grey tile.
The second floor contains the living and dining rooms and a bright kitchen with French doors to the deck overlooking landmark buildings.
The versatile floorplan features modern conveniences and offers an amazing view from the stairs, Deck said.
“It’s amazing just to look down into the living room, dining room and kitchen area,” she said. “That was really stunning.”
The “awe inspiring” living room features exposed beams and soaring ceilings, the husband seller said.
Once in the art business, the sellers have collected pieces over the years and according to the wife, the condo was “a perfect place to showcase art.”
In the kitchen and dining areas, lower ceilings create a cozy setting.
“They managed to create an environment where you want to be a little cozier and other environments where you want to take in the entire grandeur of the building and they did it very well,” the husband said.
A guitar player and songwriter, the husband has a band, the wife said. The unit has proven great for rehearsals.
“The acoustics are wonderful,” she said.
Living in the insulated former church lends to a “sense of peace and quiet,” she said.
In the Gables at Wooster Square, which is beautiful when Cherry Blossoms are in bloom, this modern townhouse condo features soaring cathedral ceilings. In an 11-unit complex in a 19th century church converted in 2006, creates a perfect union of contemporary living within an historic structure. This beautiful architecturally outstanding unit features an impressive, versatile floor plan with great natural light and sculptured beams, and includes a high end Sparkfire gas fireplace with granite selected from the quarry by the owners, beautiful hardwood floors. There is plenty of storage and closet space, a heated parking garage with two parking spaces reached by elevator or stairs. The master bath walls were remodeled with Italian stone tile. Home in within an easy walk to downtown and is convenient to the train station, restaurants, Yale and bus routes. The home has newer central air conditioning, furnace, central vacuuming and much more. Schools: Wilbur Cross High School
“When St. Michaels has a parade you literally have no idea that it’s going on from inside our apartment and on more than one occasion we have been surprised opening up the door and a marching band is going by and pounding on their drums,” the husband said. “We don’t hear a thing.”