McGregor HPC hopes church can be preserved for new uses

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

McGregor’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) is asking the city to become a temporary steward of the recently shuttered Methodist Church, in an effort to protect the historic building until it can be transferred to a non-profit organization.

The McGregor church, which was part of the Living Faith United Methodist group that included sites in Giard and Monona, was permanently closed this summer by the Methodist Conference. Construction on the building, located at 330 Ann St., was completed in 1873, but the community’s Methodist congregation dates back to the 1850s.

“It’s a beautiful building and means a lot to a lot of people in town—historically, architecturally, aesthetically, culturally. Everything is perfect with that building,” said Duane Boelman, who, along with HPC member Joe Brooks, addressed the city council at its July 21 meeting. “The historic preservation commission feels very strongly that they need to do everything possible to make sure that building is protected and preserved.”

Boelman said McGregor city code allows the commission to accept unconditional gifts and donations of real or personal property for the purpose of historic preservation. The Methodist Conference, which Brooks has been working with extensively, has offered to give the building to a non-profit in McGregor at no cost. 

“We would like that to happen and hopefully use it for community purposes,” Boelman stated.

Forming a non-profit takes time, though. Brooks is working on forming an organization, and Boelman said a separate non-profit that will eventually take over two other McGregor historic buildings, the Sullivan Opera House (hardware store) and Alexander Motel, is also still in development.

“What we’d like the city to consider—and do—is accept the gift on behalf of the historic preservation commission. As soon as we can get a non-profit corporation, they would take over ownership of the building,” Boelman explained. “We’re not asking the city for any money; we’re just asking them to be stewards of the building temporarily.”

Brooks has offered to cover upkeep and utility expenses in the meantime, making the building financially independent. Already involved with the city’s cemeteries and treasurer of the Clan McGregor for Community Enrichment, Festival of Trees and the McGregor Historical Museum, he said he would like to use the church as an office. The move would ease the insurance burden since the building would no longer be considered unoccupied.

“At this point in time, I am more than happy to cover the cost, and if I can get donations and grants and memorials, I think we could more than cover expenses,” Brooks said. “I don’t think it would be a burden to the city.”

Councilman Charlie Carroll wondered at the urgency of the situation.

“Is there a threat right now that it’s going to be torn down in the next month? Can we get this non-profit formed and then it gets transferred that way?” he asked. “We’ve had some other buildings that the city has been stuck with for an extended period of time, and a lot longer than we thought.”

“The main threat, in my perspective, is letting the building sit idle,” Brooks responded. “You could have a water leak that no one knows about that suddenly does damage, or something falls. We had vandalism to the front of the church recently. It really takes someone to be there all the time.”

Brooks said the church is in good shape, and would work well as a community center. 

“It’s a very attractive building inside, and the stained glass windows are beautiful. The upstairs has stadium seating and is ideal for speakers or a conference center. The speakers work, the sound system works. I think it has a lot of potential,” he told the council. “At this point in time, it’s more cleaning up that needs to be done than anything else—there’s painting in certain areas that would help. But it does have some downsides. The bathrooms need to be worked on and handicap access is an issue. It’s probably going to need an elevator to make it fully functional.”

“It’s a totally usable building, though,” he added, “and the alternative is for the Methodist Conference to tear it down.”

Boelman said the church is structurally sound as well, according to a structural engineer who completed a report on the building several years ago.

“They’ve been trying to close it for years, and he said there’s nothing wrong with the building structurally. And he didn’t see that the black mold rumors are anything either,” Boelman noted. “It’s an old building and requires some maintenance like all of us with old homes know. If you continue with it and stay up to date, there’s usually not anything terribly expensive. I thought that was great news.”

“People have some great ideas, and I think there are a lot of purposes. People love to have church weddings who aren’t necessarily church members, and, as Joe said, a community center. The alternative, someday, is to spend millions on a community center. Why?” Boelman asked. “It’s an amazing asset to our community, and to let it go and not use it as a resource, would be a shame.”

Brooks would like to see the church preserved as part of McGregor’s historical legacy.

“It is a sad situation that a lot of the historic buildings in McGregor are gone,” he said. “This is a building that has landmark status for the town. If you want to know how to get to Methodist Hollow, you just go to the church. It has been a community center of faith for many years, and I think that is to be respected for the people who have gone to the church. They would like to have it remain in the community in some manner.”

While supportive of preserving the church, the council held off on accepting the gift until an agreement can be developed that protects the city from financial costs and considers other potential burdens.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said city administrator Lynette McManus, “but there is still liability, and we have to consider there needs to be some protection there.”