Boston resident Martin White and his wife Tish have found their post-retirement sanctuary: St. Patrick Church in Bennington.
The couple purchased the 5,000 square-foot church building for $80,000 on Tuesday. White, in an interview Wednesday morning, said he and his wife plan on renovating the church and 2.5 acre property into their dream home.
“We immediately fell in love with the church,” said White. “We loved the whole vibe; the church, the ride up, the people. We immediately drove out when we saw it online, and put a deposit down right after looking at it.”
White said he and his wife have been actively looking to move out of the city, searching for a more rural area to retire to. Having seen people successfully renovate churches into residential dwellings in the past, White and his wife jumped at the challenge.
A carpenter by trade, White plans on completely renovating the building, with the nave serving as the primary living space, and the basement serving as a workshop area. Other than residing and reshingling the exterior, White plans on keeping the exterior untouched.
“It’s going to be a big overhaul, but we really want to keep features like the stained-glass windows, which are absolutely beautiful,” said White, who said he would likely turn the bell tower into a sitting area.
White said that he will be starting on the roof repairs as soon as next week. White and his wife plan on moving in as soon as the church is habitable.
“A carpenter never truly retires,” said White. “I plan on tinkering on the house until everything is perfect. It’s not just a job for me, it’s a passion and a way of life.”
As an established carpenter in the Boston area, White had originally anticipated having many of his colleagues help out with the renovations. After a few visits to the Bennington area, White has had a change of heart.
“The people here have been so nice and welcoming,” said White. “I’ve already found a local plumber. My wife and I plan on using local people to help us.”
To further help the local community understand what is happening, White said he and his wife plan to chronicle the project on Facebook. Those interested in following along can visit his Facebook page.
The church has been for sale for around six years, according to Tom Bebbington, director of communication at the Diocese of Manchester, which encompasses the church in Bennington and other churches in the region.
Bebbington said all money from the sale will go to Divine Mercy in Peterborough, which owns the Bennington property.
“The property has been under control of Divine Mercy since 2006, when the two were merged together,” said Bebbington.
Divine Mercy Msgr. Gerry Belanger chose not to comment on the sale of the building, as he had received unofficial word of the sale, but nothing had been confirmed between him and the Diocese. In an interview Tuesday, Bebbington confirmed the sale to the Ledger-Transcript.
Belanger has said in past interviews that the sale of the church would be used to help pay off costs incurred by the construction of the new location off Wilton Road. The church was almost sold to John Redman for $125,000, but the deal fell through last year.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.