Sale of St. Andrew’s United Church unravels
A landmark church in Peterborough, made surplus when two congregations merged two years ago and was conditionally sold in September, is expected back on the market again.
The sale of St. Andrew’s United Church on Rubidge St. was to take effect in April. The asking price was $849,000.
The congregation at St. Andrews merged with that of George Street United Church in 2016; both congregations had been dwindling.
The newly amalgamated congregation was renamed Emmanuel United Church, with George Street United called Emmanuel East and St. Andrew’s Emmanuel West.
For a while, churchgoers alternated worship services between the two churches, but lately services have been mostly held at the George Street site.
On Thursday Dean Haggarty, chairman of trustees for Emmanuel United Church, announced in a release that the buyer has walked away.
The United Church of Canada granted two extensions on the unnamed buyer’s conditions, states the release, but has recently found they couldn’t fulfil the conditions and asked to back out of the sale.
Meanwhile the former manse of St. Andrew’s Church houses Hospice Peterborough, which is erecting a new building nearby.
Haggarty wrote in an email to The Examiner that the United Church will continue to lease the former manse to Hospice until they move to their new building.
After Hospice vacates, Haggarty wrote, Emmanuel United Church is planning to use the former manse for church activities.
According to an exterior inscription at St. Andrew’s Church, the church was built in 1835 and rebuilt in 1885.
The buyer for the church never came forward publicly and never stated their plans for the building — although Haggarty said in September they weren’t planning to tear the church down.
Haggarty also wrote Thursday that the church plans to list with Century 21 United Realty.
The updated listing wasn’t online on Friday (the ad showed it still conditionally sold until April). The realtor, Aaron Wright, was unavailable for comment.