For the Commercial Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse of the Morrisville Christian Church
The Morrisville Christian Church was built around 1900 in the Gothic Revival style. The building is easily identifiable by its handsome three-stage corner bell tower which is unique in Wake County. The building served as a place of worship until the 1970s when it was acquired by the Town of Morrisville for use as the Town Hall and Chamber of Commerce. Rehabilitation began in March, 2010 and was completed in August, 2011. The Town’s goal was to rehabilitate and adaptively reuse the building as a place for meetings and other public gatherings in a way that preserved its history, architecture, and character.
The rehabilitation was comprehensive. In order to repair damaged sills, the church was raised on its foundation. The enlarged crawlspace allowed the installation of modern plumbing and HVAC systems. The building was then gently placed back on its new foundation, ultimately only one foot higher than its original elevation. Deteriorated wood on the front and sides was replaced with original wood from other parts of the building, so new wood is segregated on the rear of the property. The exterior wood and trim was refinished and repainted. New seamless storm windows allow the original six-over-six sash windows to be completely visible.
On the interior, the beadboard wall sheathing was removed to install insulation and upgrade wiring, but was replaced and repainted. Over the years, various drop ceilings were installed to manage acoustics and weather, but when removed the existing rafters with cross-beam patterns were in good condition and so were refinished and repainted. Period doors and light fixtures were selected for the sanctuary. The effect is a simple and beautiful interior.
The Board of Directors of Capital Area Preservation, Inc. is pleased to present a 2011 Anthemion Award to the Town of Morrisville; Isosceles Design; DCF Engineering, Inc.; DNK Engineering; Beau Chêne Company, LLC for the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the Morrisville Christian Church, 222 Church Street, Morrisville.