A Converted Sewickley Church With Soul — and a Story to Match

PHOTOS BY ALYSSA RICHARDS OF EXPOSURE IT REAL ESTATE MEDIA

Not every house comes with a past, and fewer still come with stained glass, arched ceilings and a history filled with acts of service. 

The home at 201 Frederick Ave. in Sewickley does, though. 

“We’ve lived in our church home for four-and-a-half years,” owners Kat and Nick shared in an email. “We always dreamed of living in a converted building of some kind — a barn, a schoolhouse, something with unique history and great bones. A church was at the very top of that list.” 

The couple wrote they were strongly considering buying a nearby barn conversion, then they came across the former Triumph Baptist Church.

“The moment we walked into the main level, Nick and I looked at each other and just knew,” says Kat. 

According to Nick and Kat, the home’s central feature is one of the first things guests see; original stained glass windows are visible from nearly every corner of the main floor. The kaleidoscope of light filtered in through the preserved and protected windows defines the entire space.  

“They don’t just bring in light, they bring in color. The way the light shifts throughout the day and across the seasons is so fun,” the couple shared via email. 

Complementing the rainbow of colors is the art and memorabilia that fill the home.

“It’s always casting a different pattern on the walls. I swear, we see the face of our beloved dog Luke on one of the walls sometimes. Luke passed away right before we moved in.”

Prior to the couple purchasing the property, Jordan Vescio originally converted the building from church to home. The sanctuary was divided into its current living spaces, but remained unified through an open-concept contemporary design alongside glass railings that don’t detract from the building’s original architecture. 

While the first conversion handled the task of creating a home from a sanctuary, it was a blank slate when Kat and Nick bought it. Before personalizing the home, they started with some behind-the-scenes work. 

“We tackled a lot of what a friend once called the ‘unsexy work’ right away,” the couple said.

They added a new furnace, hot water heater, water softener, HVAC and several high-end appliances. They also wanted to extend the feeling of sanctuary to the corner lot’s usable outdoor space. 

“Outside, the yard was a blank slate, so we added landscaping, aluminum fencing, stone pathways and lots of flowering plants,” the couple said. 

Inside, Kat and Nick tailored the bedrooms, basement, and bathroom to their taste, adding bold paint and decor choices, “but we kept the main spaces white to lean into the church vibe,” the couple said.

The home is now listed with Adam Cannon of Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty for $1.3 million. While it’s not the first church Cannon has put on the market, it’s the one that surprised him most. 

“Honestly, my favorite thing about this house is that, minus the giant stained glass windows featuring Jesus, you almost forget you’re in a church,” says Cannon. “It just feels like a very cool home, and it’s contemporary without being cold. I think my clients had a lot to do with that. I think they really breathed some life into this home.” 

Cannon says it’s tricky to nail down just when the church was constructed, but leans on the 1905 date on the church’s historical plaque. With three bedrooms and four bathrooms spanning three levels, a theater room, wine cellar and a three-car garage, Cannon says he’s yet to see a conversion that straddles the old and new as successfully as this home. 

“What we don’t see in a lot of these conversions, and in a lot of the modern homes, is discernible spaces,” says Cannon. “Here, you have doors to close. A lot of these projects, it feels like they just throw a kitchen into a ballroom and that’s it.” 

Cannon has also been surprised at the stories that have emerged from the community since he listed the home. A resident of Sewickley himself, Cannon says the property’s neighborhood connections are numerous. 

“Actually, one friend said on my Facebook post that he was baptized in this church,” he says. 

Another commenter remembered a funeral in the former church, while more remembered attending weddings and simple weekend services. 

“I love that you get the stained glass in the background, and a big, impressive entry,” says Cannon. “And when you come around the corner, it’s like … whoa.  But then, it’s just a true three-bedroom home.” 

He notes that the first-floor office, as well as several of the basement rooms, have the potential to be used as a fourth bedroom.

On the home’s main level, a large chef’s kitchen with center island is open to the dining area, which is lined by a long, built-in buffet for serving and storage. The living room is anchored by a two-story fireplace and has access to a rear deck overlooking the backend of the property. 

The first-floor primary suite has ample storage and a luxurious bathroom as well as access to the rear deck.

On the second floor, two nicely sized bedrooms are brightly decorated for the couple’s two young children. A loft with a reading nook is adjacent to the bedrooms and opens to the living and dining rooms below. Behind a wall of bookshelves, a hidden door leads to attic storage. 

The basement level is made for entertaining, with a bar, theater room and wine cellar. Stamped concrete flooring and rustic materials bring a different vibe to the lower level than the more contemporary top two floors, creating an interesting juxtaposition. 

Kat and Nick added that, in addition to the long list of reasons this home stole their heart, Sewickley has also been the ideal place to live. The family can see fireworks from the village’s Light Up Night from their back deck, which has become a favorite tradition. 

“Sewickley really is a dream,” the couple said. “The house is right around the corner from coffee shops, restaurants, schools, parks, galleries, everything. The movie theater is just a short walk away, which our whole family loves.” 

They’ve also made good friends. “People really are neighborly, and you’re almost guaranteed to run into someone you know whenever you’re out. Trick-or-treating here is the best. And the farmers market two blocks away in the summer is a highlight.”

Beyond enjoying community events, the family often hosted gatherings in their home. 

“We hosted a wild drag show in the garage for a Halloween party a couple years ago. One of the performers dropped down from the Jones & Laughlin I-beam and did the splits right in the middle of the garage floor. It was epic,” Kat and Nick remember. “Shout out to Calipso!”

Leaving a home like this isn’t easy, especially when it’s been shaped so intentionally over time.

“It’s very bittersweet to leave. We’ve poured so much into making this place our own little slice of Sewickley,” the couple concludes. “I think we’ll miss the neighborhood most of all. It’s a really special place, especially for families.”