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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-09-04, Page 302. It PAGE 7..4. -T—GOD RICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, SEPTYMBER11, 1975 w rw11,1, \11F,111,R►'i.r W 'Tr w► a aawa • k The church of the past It took hard work and ngenuity The apartment of today Porter's Hill gets high rise apartment: building ..,R,YELNINETOWNSHEND During the sixties, many small rural 'churches closed because • of dwindling congregations. In July 1969, Porter's Hill, Grace United " Church in Goderich Township fell beneath the auctioneer's hammer. But the building wasn't doomed for demolition: Andy Riehl and his father Albert (Red) Riehl of Saltford had a different idea. Why not turn the 42 -year-old church into ,. an apartment building? Andy- credits his father,,with the idea : "Dad had the plan in his head, and evenI • was surprised at'the way things turned out, It was my first experience at a job like that." Andy wanted to buy property • in the ' country because he, believed rural homes would soon be in demand. The location of the church, seemed excellent for luring tenants. The site , was only •five miles from the Psychiatric Hospital, where he worked at that time, and eight miles from the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, where both he and his wife, Ramy, are now employed. When the auction was held, he ' was in P.E.I. His father attended for him and vied. for the property with only one other bidder. After the sale, -the Riehls began their' arduous task; they did most of the work themselves. Andy explains, 'y`As a cement contractor, Dad 'had to know a little bit about everythingf carpentry, masonry and things like that." Red's knowledge came in handy during the remodelling of the church., First, they removed the old steep roof which needed repair. They added bricks 'to the walls , and\ made the two-storey' building into three storeys. Then they laid a . new black - shingled roof in a modern low style. They, bought the red bricks 'from a Seaforth house, that had been dismantled: The house bricks matched the church bricks. Because they tai old woo an coa r were: 'covered with black with an oil furnace. A,double mortar, each Yiac1 to be scraped 'i'c,k b�w r.► separated the -heater and cleaned by hand. Now the addition is indiscernible. Next, they replaced the long, narrow windows with modern, rectangular ones. Andy recalls the chore of installing the picture window in the second storey: —A group of friends helped us. , We slid it up on planks ' and balanced it with ropes. It was a dangerous job, if • you didn't know what you were doing." To retain the church effect,. they left'two colored windows, one in. the front peak on the west side and the other at ,the back on the north .side. Andy sold the other stained glass windows to an antique dealer, who sanded _ the:. frames and inserted mirrors in them. The .two original winding staircases inside the, front of the church were, dismantled. Andy and Red erected cement steps and a platform as well as an' inside stairway at the'back of the building.. At the front, they built an outside staircase and a plat- form of angel stone. Red laid the.mortar, and Andy trowelled the joints. Their technique was unique. Most constructors use forms and start at the top; the Riehls began' at the bottom without forms. "Many people said, `Don't you. think they'll be out at the. top?' " Andy recalls. "But Dad had the plan in his head. He , followed the lines of the brick or something, and the steps were , right on." Much work took place on the' grounds around the structure as well."They bought a septic tank, that the dealers claimed could handle three apartments. They also drilled a well to the south of the building. Finally, they turned their attention to the inside. of the" church, which was then only a shell. The whole building required new electrical wiring. In the basement, they replaced from the rest of the room and made an ideal partition for a fruit cellar.. On the second storey, they used the lumber from the ceiling to level the slanted church floor. The apartment floor now consists of three or four layers. After erecting the partitions, they installed the plumbing and the pre-• constructed cupboards. Addy and his father panelled 'the liv-i•ng-r=oom--walls;-Mil le- Andy's. motherpapered and painted the other rooms. They covered the large' kitchen and bathroom with cushion flooring, The combined living room and dining' root)) and the two bedrooms have hardwood floors. They obtained the hardwood floor from the Origin -al building at the 'Gederich Airport, that was used during World War II; rde After the boa.;were sanded, Andy's mother 'coated ._.the.ni. with durethane. Enough har- dwood remains for the two bedrooms on the third storey: The Riehls spent almost four years completing one apart= ment. They invested ' much time, work and money into transforming a :church into a modern home. And they're not, through yet! They want to finish the up- roductive • Loco stairs apartment. They also plan to add a laundry room on .R.the they'll turn the basement, into a rec room. Above the front •steps,:they'll'erect pillars and a balcony. (- r • This fall and next spring, -•- they'll landscape the grounds. They're grateful . for c the eV.ergreen trees at the back and the barberry, forsythia , and spirea bushes along the west (continued on page 6A) Ronald L. . McDonald CH A RTERED'ACCOUNTANT 39 St David St., 524-6253 Goderich, Ontarj,o CHISHOLM FUELS Distributors For `SUHOCQ PRODUCTS ti NOME, FARM, E INDUSTRY ' 24 Hour Free Burner Servide .• Furnace Financing • Gasoline* Si -Diesel Fuels • New Furnace Installation & Hot Water. 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