Architect and furniture-maker Andrew Peklo III recently completed the adaptive reuse of the former Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, CT and invited Preservation Connecticut to come take a tour!
The 2,152 sq foot Building is located near the Bethlehem’s town center only a few minutes’ walk from the Bellamy Ferriday House and the town green. Original features include a stucco-clad exterior, arched openings with molded casements, and beautiful stained-glass windows. An open-plan kitchen, dining, and living room fills the former sanctuary. The bedrooms and a modern garage are located in an attached wing. Two bedrooms with 9′ ceilings, skylights, and full baths occupy the second floor and feature beautiful built-ins crafted of African Mahogany known as Sapele.
The church was built in 1929 under the direction of Father Cornelius Tuelings to accommodate Bethlehem’s growing Catholic population. The design of the building was inspired by Father Tuelings’ travels to the southwestern United States where he admired the many Mission-style churches with red tiled roofs (the original roof on the building was clad in terra cotta tiles and featured a cupola). The new church, built to serve a growing and more diverse population, was consecrated in October of 1929 and was noted in the The Waterbury American on October 19, 1929, as follows:
“Changes in population reflected as they have been in the erection of the new church, have failed to develop anything but a spirit of friendship among the people of Bethlehem. The congratulations extended by the Protestant churches to the Roman Catholic express similar attitudes among the entire townspeople. It is interesting to note that some of the largest contributions to the new church have been made by members of the other faiths, and a spirit of tolerance is reflected throughout. The importance of the new church to Bethlehem as a community, the improvement it notes in the town and the affording of an adequate Structure to members of that faith for purposes of worship provide sufficient reasons for a spirit of happiness among the community at the completion of the project.”
As of this posting, the house is for sale! Check out the listing for more photos.
