Aimee Wheeler’s notion of her dream house has been with her since she read “Wait Till Helen Comes” as a child. In it, author Mary Downing Hahn, writes about a young girl whose family moved into a church.
Wheeler knew this was an idea she wanted to emulate.
After 40 years and numerous drivebys of an abandoned church, Wheeler saw the perfect opportunity to turn her dream into a reality.
Wheeler, a hospice nurse who lives in Watkinsville, purchased Russell Chapel AME, which is on South Gilmer Street in Lexington, and has started renovations to turn the church into a home she calls the “Holy House of Love.”
“I swear it was like they left church one Sunday and never came back,” she said.
The church, built in 1970, was used for 44 years before becoming dormant for nine years. The church now belongs to Wheeler and its transformation into a home has been set in motion.
Due to financial burdens and a lack of pastors, the African Methodist Episcopal organization had to close Russell Chapel AME, said Delbra Kendrick, First Lady of St. John AME Church in Crawford.
“'I’m saddened to the fact of knowing that a church was lost here in the community,” Kendrick said. “I’m saddened to know that the AME organization shut down a church.”
Although the closure of the church was a loss, Wheeler said she hopes the transformation aims to be a positive change. Much of the furniture, including pews and pastor chairs, were donated to a startup church in Mexico.
“When you drive by, you're going to recognize that that was a church,” Wheeler said. “That's really important that we respect that it still looks like that. Like I said, 54 years of prayers and worship and tears in that church deserves the respect of being revitalized and maintained.”
A significant goal for Wheeler is to maintain the integrity of the space, which is 1,300 square feet.
Styled in a modern industrial look, adorned with personal woodwork, paintings and photographs, Wheeler and “renovation partner” Frankie Hart plan to establish a welcoming, joyful environment to pursue their creative and career ambitions in what will be a three-bedroom, 2½-bath home.
“I look forward to the peace of coffee in the morning,” Wheeler said. “And sunsets and watering my plants in the morning, you know, all of that. Like, it’s not just moving in, but living there. And I think that there’s going to be a quiet, contemplative, creative atmosphere and getting to share that living there with my boyfriend, who has those same goals.”
The welcoming nature of the Lexington community keeps Wheeler optimistic about her future.
“All the little, simple things that I’ve been able to do in Lexington have just been an absolute joy,” Wheeler said. “They are some of the nicest people. Everyone has been so helpful, and I’m so excited to get to be a part of that community.”