By Chris Triebert (South Newfane Community Association Trustee)

The South Newfane Community Association (SNCA) is pleased to announce that the historic village church on Dover Road in the center of South Newfane, formerly the home of the South Newfane Baptist congregation, has recently been sold. The church had been closed for several years due to a dwindling congregation, the effects of covid and ongoing maintenance issues. Trustee Tim Cawrse, who had been the primary caretaker of the property and worked tirelessly over many years to upkeep the systems, assessed the repairs needed as greater than what the small congregation could manage. 
 
The new owner of the building is Matt Ewald of Pinnacle Builders, a local Vermont construction firm that specializes in 18th and 19th century restoration and reproductions. Ewald and his crew are well suited to the task of bringing the aging structure up to current codes and giving it a new life and purpose. Ewald has been in the trade for over 30 years and honed his skills locally working at Jonathan Jesup Restorations company, well-known for its historic renovation expertise. Ewald has recently added the talented and knowledgeable carpenters of his former employer to his own team.

About his plans for the South Newfane church Ewald says, "The building itself is in remarkable shape for its age. It has issues, notably the dirt floor crawl space basement that has allowed a lot of moisture to attack the floor system. That will need full replacement along with proper drainage around the building. But the frame itself is remarkable and there has been very little movement. The stained glass windows are unique and beautiful as well and though we will need proper and up to date exterior windows and doors we are going to be looking to incorporate them into the design wherever we can. As of now we are still in the planning stages but the end goal will most likely be to convert the church into residential property. This project will take some time but we are targeting fall of 2026 for completion.”
 
The church sale was facilitated by the South Newfane Community Association, the local non-profit group that the church board chose to bequeath the building to once it decided to close the doors permanently and dissolve the organization. Closing was a painful decision as the church had once been a vibrant part of community life in South Newfane, with its first organized congregation dating to the late 1700s. The current structure was built in 1860 on a donated parcel of land by the Pardon Perry family, and served as a meeting place for worship, friendship and a great sense of local pride for over 160 years.

Donating the building to SNCA, who also owns and maintains the South Newfane Schoolhouse, was a generous move on the church board’s part and allowed the community group to find the right buyer for the building who would carry it into its next stage. The SNCA board members who worked with Ewald to secure the sale are Maia Segura, Daimian Lix, Ann Golob, Chris Triebert and Carol Ross. Their goal in receiving the church as a bequeathed gift was three-fold, and happily all three of those goals are now being met.

The first and primary goal was to facilitate the sale of the building to a buyer who would preserve its historic integrity. Second was the intention was to keep the proceeds from the sale of the church within the village and put them towards upgrades in the Schoolhouse. Third was the hope that the church renovation would help in some way to alleviate the housing shortage in the community. To all involved with this change of ownership, it feels like a true “win, win, win.”
 
The upcoming renovation of the church is part of an overall revitalization taking place in the village of South Newfane. Across the road from the church is Willow Vermont the newly established art and yoga retreat center operated by Tom Concannon and Ravi Shimpi who relocated to Vermont from Boston. Willow is bringing workshop leaders and guests from across the county to participate in their programs. Next door to Willow is the South Newfane Schoolhouse which serves as the local community center hosting a variety of music, theater and art events year round. The Schoolhouse is currently in the fundraising stage for constructing an accessibility ramp on the building and eventually hopes to add an up-to-code wastewater system.

Across the road from the Schoolhouse is the blighted former South Newfane General Store, which has been shuttered for over a decade. The store and its adjacent house are now slated to be demolished through a FEMA program and the property will be returned to green space, bringing a much welcomed and refreshed sense of place in the heart of South Newfane village. Please join us in welcoming Matt to our village.