Kingston Parish: A Historic Rectory Becomes Workforce Housing
- VEREP
- Jul 28
- 4 min read
Kingston Parish, Mathews County, Virginia
Kingston Parish, located in rural Mathews County at the far southeast edge of the Diocese of Virginia, is partnering with the local community to transform a historic but long-vacant Rectory into two workforce rental apartments.
Through the Kingston Housing Initiative, parishioners and community leaders are giving new purpose to an underused church property while helping address a critical need for attainable housing for people who work in the community.
From Vacant Property to New Possibility
Founded in 1652, Kingston Parish has worshiped in multiple locations throughout its long history and currently worships in two. Like many rural congregations, the parish also owns properties it no longer actively uses, including undeveloped land, the former Rectory, and the historic Old Trinity Church site.
For years, the Rectory on Main Street in Mathews sat vacant. Maintaining the unused building created an ongoing expense for the parish at the same time that Mathews County faced a growing shortage of affordable rental housing.
By the summer of 2024, after years of trying to identify a viable use for the property, the vestry called a congregational meeting to seek approval to demolish the Rectory and reduce the church's annual expenses.
Instead, parishioners gave the building one final reprieve and authorized another attempt to find a sustainable use for it.
A Building Worth Preserving
The decision carried particular significance because of the Rectory's history.
Located within the Mathews Downtown Historic District, the Rectory is a contributing structure to a district listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.
It was once home to the Rev. Giles Cooke, a figure in racial reconciliation in the early twentieth century and founder of St. Paul's School in Petersburg, an educational institution for Black children. It was also the birthplace of John Warren Cooke, the longest-serving Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, who helped steer Virginia away from massive resistance to desegregation.
Preserving the building offered an opportunity not only to address a present-day community need, but also to steward an important piece of local history.
Choosing Restoration Over Demolition
Rather than demolish or sell the property, parishioners and community leaders formed the Kingston Housing Initiative (KHI) to explore another path.
An ad hoc committee brought together people with experience in construction, architecture, real estate, cost estimating, fundraising, public relations, and grant writing. Importantly, the group included both church members and respected local professionals, creating a project with broad community expertise and ownership.
The discernment was both practical and prayerful. The group considered the significant cost of repairing the Rectory alongside the opportunity to preserve a historic asset and put it to work serving the community.
Ultimately, adaptive reuse emerged as the most promising solution: convert the Rectory into housing for moderate-income workers who often struggle to find affordable places to live near their jobs.
To support fundraising beyond the congregation, KHI partnered with the Mathews Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, to establish a dedicated fund for the project.
Creating Workforce Housing in the Heart of Mathews
The Rectory is now being fully renovated into two energy-efficient apartments while preserving the architectural character of the historic building.
The apartments are intended for moderate-income workers such as teachers, law-enforcement personnel, civil servants, and others who help keep Mathews County functioning but may struggle to afford nearby market-rate housing.
The project's location in the heart of Mathews also puts future residents within walking distance of local jobs and services.
Busch Construction Company is completing the renovation under a fixed-price contract, while a local property management company will oversee leasing and day-to-day operations once the apartments are complete.
The approximately $360,000 project is being financed through grants and individual contributions, with future rental income helping support its ongoing operation. No-interest backup loans are also available should unexpected construction costs arise.
The renovation is approximately 55% complete and more than 85% funded, with completion anticipated in late 2026 and the first tenants expected in early 2027.
Faithful Stewardship in Action
For Kingston Parish, the Rectory project is more than a real estate transaction. It is an expression of stewardship.
Parishioners chose the more challenging path of preserving and adapting a building they had inherited rather than allowing it to continue deteriorating or removing it altogether. Through that decision, a property that had become a financial burden can instead become a community asset, provide homes for local workers, and eventually generate sustainable income.
The project also reflects a broader understanding of how church property can serve God's mission beyond Sunday worship. In a community where housing options are limited, an unused Rectory can become two safe, dignified homes for people who teach children, respond to emergencies, and provide essential local services.
Lessons for Other Congregations
The Kingston Rectory project demonstrates that meaningful community impact does not always require a large development.
For congregations considering what to do with underused buildings or land, Kingston Parish's experience offers several important lessons:
Begin with discernment, not a predetermined real estate solution. Demolition initially appeared to be the most practical option, but allowing additional time for exploration opened another path.
Bring community expertise to the table. Professionals from both inside and outside the congregation contributed the skills needed to evaluate and advance the project.
Look for the intersection of property and community need. The Rectory's location and existing structure made workforce housing particularly relevant in Mathews County.
Build partnerships beyond the congregation. Working with the Mathews Community Foundation created a trusted way for the wider community to participate financially.
Don't underestimate the impact of a small project. Two apartments may be modest in scale, but in a rural community with limited housing options, two additional homes can make a meaningful difference.
Once complete, the Kingston Rectory will return a prominent historic building to daily use, provide much-needed workforce housing, and transform a nonperforming church asset into a property that supports both community needs and the parish's long-term sustainability.
For Kingston Parish, an empty Rectory that once represented an uncertain financial obligation is becoming something very different: a tangible example of how thoughtful stewardship of church property can create new possibilities for mission.
Does your congregation have more space than you need? VEREP can help you explore faithful, mission-aligned options for leasing, licensing, or community use.
