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May 28, 2023

Church renovation underway

Huntingdon Presbyterian Church is undergoing a $650,000 renovation to create a more “welcoming” space for worshippers, its first major remodel in more than 60 years. Major upgrades include a new

Huntingdon Presbyterian Church is undergoing a $650,000 renovation to create a more “welcoming” space for worshippers, its first major remodel in more than 60 years.

Major upgrades include a new audio-visual control room, a quiet room for young children and air conditioning throughout the sanctuary.

To Rev. Brett Hoover, the current renovation project is the culmination to years of planning.

“We had an initial committee that looked at our space, and some of the growing issues from some of the deferred maintenance, the conversation really started in 2019,” Hoover said.

The first thought of possible renovation occurred when parishioners realized that a new vacuum cleaner was tearing chunks out of the sanctuary carpet.

“We quickly discovered that perhaps the greatest bonding agent in terms of the carpet was the existing dirt, you know the carpet’s been here for like 70 years,” Hoover said.

From the initial plan for a carpet replacement, the project grew to include a full sanctuary repaint and electrical upgrades throughout the church.

“We saw that the carpet needed to be replaced, and we went ‘okay so what are the other long-term needs that we have as a congregation, and what we can do to continue to be a good meeting space for the community?’” said Hoover.

Funding for the project was drawn from church reserves, as well as several community outreach events and the repurposing of unused building assets. Work will be completed by a combination of contractors from Fike Brothers, Josh Williams Construction, D.C. Goodman & Sons and others.

Construction began July 9, and is expected to be complete by mid-November in time for advent season, according to Hoover.

From weddings, funerals and public festivals on church property, making the space welcoming to the public was a top priority for the renovation project committee, according to Hoover.

A key part of this plan includes the installation of wall-mounted air conditioning units to avoid subjecting worshippers to a “sweatbox on Sundays,” Hoover said.

“During COVID-19, we encountered this need to make sure we have an online presence, so we stream our services via Facebook, and that was absolutely crucial,” Hoover said.

To better facilitate online attendance, Huntingdon Presbyterian will install a brand-new soundboard, new microphones and two new live stream cameras, as well as two 86-inch monitors to display hymn lyrics and scripture during worship service.

Hoover said that these efforts are in hopes that the church’s online experience is “as good as it possibly can be.”

Another major component of the planned renovation is the construction of two small rooms at the rear of the sanctuary. One will be a combined storage space and the other an AV-control room and the other will be a designated “quiet room.”

“It will be for parents with younger kids to put them in this area, and they’ll still be able to see the service and hear the service because it will have windows,” Paul Post, church elder and renovation committee member, said.

“(The sanctuary) is a space where it is easy for kids to get overwhelmed,” Hoover said. “There can be some extreme sensory experiences, and part of it is that we discovered quite a few folks in our congregation have children with special needs … and having a place for kids struggling with that.”

According to Post, the committee is paying special attention to ensuring that the wood detailing on the new booths will seamlessly match the woodwork around the pulpit.

In addition, the stage and organ pit area will be reworked to give more space for church events.

“We are taking pews out, and creating a meeting space area in the back,” Post said. “Roughly eight from each side, and five out of the middle, and that will create this big space, a multi-purpose area.”

Total seating capacity will decrease from 375-450 people to 250-300 people, with room to add additional seats for events, according to Post.

“We’re adding a railing around the organ console, and changing the area around the organ to make it more accessible,” Judy Post, renovation committee chairwoman, said. Before the renovation, access to the organ console was difficult due to its location within the rows of pews.

Once work is completed, Hoover said he hopes that church-goers will reap the benefits for years to come.

“The big picture is having a sanctuary ready for worship well into the 21st century,” Hoover said. “Laying that foundation for the worship community to have a highly functional and welcoming worship environment that also preserves the aesthetics of our beautiful Victorian sanctuary.”

Conner can be reached at [email protected].

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Updated: August 31, 2023 @ 1:00 pm

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