“Heritage Renovation: Local community and Parishioners perspective"

You don’t renovate a church like this in isolation.

Yes, the church does now sit in private hands, but before the keys changed, this church belonged to a whole village for over 120 years. It hosted christenings, weddings, farewells, and Sunday services. It held grief, love, faith, and memory within its walls. As we worked to restore it, we never saw ourselves as owners. We saw ourselves as stewards - caretakers if you will - of something with a tapestry much longer and richer than ours.

The community's voice, presence, and memory were, and still are, stitched into every decision. And over the months, as word of this heritage renovation spread, that community came forward to share their stories.

Here are just a few:

"I have many memories of that church. My dad was an Elder for a number of years. My mother was a very active member of the guild. Both parents were buried from there. My younger sister was both christened and married there. I shall be watching your work with great interest and a great deal of pleasure."

"Beautiful, beautiful St James Presbyterian Church. I do so wish that my friend was still with us to watch your work. Lots of history within those walls."

"Stroud Presbyterian Church, went to Sunday School there. I got married in that church in 1985, a real country wedding in my hometown. I held my dad’s funeral there, which was his request. So many memories and a lovely old church."

"Wonderful news! So happy you are going to restore it. Big job with any of these old buildings, but definitely worth it. We were married there on a very noisy rodeo day in the late eighties! I was christened there, and we had Mum's funeral there. I remember the wonky floor!"

"Excellent news! My mother-in-law worshipped there, and worked hard for PWA, especially their annual stall at Stroud Brick Throwing. Such a lovely little church — glad to hear it will finally get the TLC it deserves."

"This beautiful church was where I went to Sunday School too, and my sister was married in January 1980. It's such a beautiful church."

These recollections, sometimes solemn, sometimes light, have poured in like blessings. They’ve reminded us that we weren’t just bringing a building back to life. We were safeguarding a legacy.

That legacy is now visible not only in the restored timbers or re-leaded windows, but in the careful way we tried to preserve the spirit and calm eternally captured in the space. The original pulpit hasn’t disappeared. It’s now central to the new interior. The original title deeds dating back to the late 1800's are framed and still on site. The memorial window remains untouched. These aren’t just features; they’re anchors to the past.

Inside the church, visitors will also find a small guest book (pictured below). It’s not just a book, but a story in itself. Crafted from the bottom half of the original pulpit timbers, it holds the memories shared with us by those who’ve dropped in during open days. Notes of gratitude, reminiscence, and recognition. Each entry adds a layer to the church’s continuing story.

Original Title Deeds

Guest book with photos

Memorial window

We plan to hold more open days, and the church will also be open to the public for significant historic moments, including the upcoming Stroud Bicentenary celebrations in late 2026.

Though privately owned, the church can be opened (by arrangement) for agreed spiritual or reflective use. For people returning to see the space, many for the first time in decades, we hope they see not an ending, but a gentle continuation.

Because in the end, a church is shaped not only by those who built it, but by those whose memories echo in its walls, and whose footfall sounds linger in the floorboards.

In the upcoming and final Blog in this series we will cover:

• Tips for Navigating a Heritage Reno (On Purpose Next Time)

Photo Credits - Nicole Macpherson