В штате Мэн выставлена на продажу историческая каменная церковь, превращенная в частный дом

Belfast home that used to be a historic stone church is up for sale in Maine A couple that turned a historic stone church off Route 1 in Belfast into a home has now put the property up for sale. Loanne and Bruce Spaulding have lived at the Little Stone Church on Meeting House Hill, which is also known as the "chouse." The first church that was built on the site was made of wood and destroyed by a fire. The stone church was built in 1907 by the Dutch Reformed and then gifted to the Christian Scientists out of Boston in the 1960s. When the Christian Scientists ran into financial trouble a few decades later, the property went up for sale. "On our way to church every day in Belfast, Loanne would say, 'If that ever goes up for sale, I want to live there,'" Bruce Spaulding told WMTW media partner WABI. The Spauldings made it their mission to preserve the church's history while also making it their home. "I wanted it to look like it had been here for 200 years, and so I had a plan that most of the function is underneath where you don't see it," said Loanne Spaulding. The former sanctuary, which is now called the Great Room, once held the altar. Part of the original Sunday School room was converted into a hallway that now serves as a coat closet and powder room. What was once the entrance for the Dutch Reformed Church, and later changed by the Christian Scientists, is now a guest bedroom. The 2,372-square-foot property has a three-story stone bell tower without the bell. The original attendance board for Sunday service is still visible, showing a collection of $3. The Spauldings restored woodwork, found Moorish-style windows and hid modern appliances in the kitchen to help authenticate what is now 119 years of history. According to the couple, curiosity has gotten the best of some people who pass by the property while driving along Route 1. "One day, I heard a little bit of noise and I came out into the kitchen, and two elderly women had their noses pressed right up against the glass door," Loanne Spaulding said. "We've had people want to get married." While they spent three decades renovating the inside, the Spauldings have also created gardens outside along with a separate space known as "The Roost." The couple said they are selling the home they have worked so hard on due to their health, and as they get ready to downsize, they have mixed feelings about moving out. "That will be bittersweet," Loanne Spaulding said. "It needed to be saved and it needed to be shared. It's truly been a labor of love." The chouse includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms and sits on a little more than an acre of land. There is also a small driving range in the back. The property was listed at $975,000 as of Tuesday, Sept. 1.