Low Down Articles
Houses of the Gatineau Hills
Low Down Articles
Houses of the Gatineau Hills
Article 2 of 74
This article first appeared in the "Houses of the Gatineau Hills" column in the October 6, 2021 issue of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
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Hallelujah! New life breathed into Wakefield church
By Hunter Cresswell
At first glance, the "Swan's Nest," as identified by a sign that hangs out front, may not look like the masterpiece of recycled Wakefield heritage it is. But the story behind it, or rather within it, would tell you otherwise.
Wakefielders have been asking and Lynda Halfhide is finally ready to go public.
Over the past four years, Halfhide has overseen the transformation of St. Andrew's Church in Wakefield into a private home for her family, which can also be turned into an Airbnb.
"The rumours, they're hilarious," Halfhide said, smiling about being asked if she was, as many have speculated, turning the church into a beer hall and other outlandish ideas.
People who attended the last service in St. Andrew's on Easter Sunday in 2017 would no longer recognize the interior. There are nods to the building's pious past, such as the gothic arch windows on each side of the home, gothic arches carved into the kitchen cabinets and newel posts, and an original church pew under the stairs. However it's now a sleek yet rustic home within the red brick shell of a former church.
"It was totally gutted," Halfhide said.
The church was originally built at what is now 739 Ch. Riverside in Wakefield. The date 1871 is carved into its original foundation, but it burned down in the early 1900s and was rebuilt in 1904. The 3,500-square-foot church has been both a Presbyterian and a United Church over the past 150 years.
Halfhide said she and her husband bought it in 2017 for just over $300,000. When asked how much the renovation has cost so far - because it's not done yet - she said, "Oh gee, just say 'lots.'"
The entrance way leads into a foyer that splits into three directions. The stairs, which are built out of original wood salvaged during the renovation, lead down to the unfinished basement, which Halfhide said she hasn't decided what to do with yet. Different stairs lead up to a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment, where her daughter lives part time. The suite could also be rented out on a shortterm basis.
In the main house, a door leads to the guest room, which has two beds, a bathroom, and a small kitchen area, which Halfhide said could also be rented out for short stays.
Past the guest room, the hallway leads to the main part of the home, which has a vaulted ceiling with the original wood rafter beams still exposed.
Halfhide said a number of local artisans helped realize her vision and fill her dream home with artistic details. Chelsea woodworker Oliver Drake made the stair banisters, Edelweiss blacksmith Michael Kinghorn forged the upstairs railing, Ottawa home renovators Villeneuve Interiors made the cabinets and did most of the interior work, and Hills brick mason Larry McNeely helped touch up the exterior.
