Narberth goes from Methodist church to luxury condos for seniors

Would you live where a congregation used to worship?

More and more old churches are being converted into residences as attendance declines and housing demand continues to rise. Most recently, Main Line reBuild transformed the former United Methodist Church of Narberth into six high-end condominiums.

The project, Narberth Place, consists of 12 luxury units — six in the church itself, three in the former parsonage and three in a the manor house. Constructed in 1929, the original design features a stone façade and stained glass windows, but inside, buyers will find modern amenities such as fireplaces, courtyards, and private studies and lofts.

Narberth Place isn’t the only former place of worship that Main Line reBuild has converted. They have two other church projects, including converting the Ardmore Baptist Church into five condos and the Gladwyne Methodist Church, which will consist of eight units.

Main Line got into the church renovation business with a specific customer in mind. Scott Brehman, one of the partners at Main Line, says the team was looking for a project that would appeal to the over-60 demographic looking to downsize. “Most of our buyers say the same thing: They want to get rid of thesingle-family home but they don’t want to leave the main line,” he says.

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That led the developers to Narberth, where Brehman says they discovered three shuttered churches, potentially slated for demolition, with the architectural potential that would appeal to the customer they had in mind.

“They were just so amazingly well-built and to see them thrown in dumpster would really be a shame,” he says.