Charleston City Council to review request to convert church to residence

Charleston City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a zoning variance to allow the historic church at 43 Wentworth St. to be converted into a residence.

City Councilman Blake Hallman said today he is concerned that the zoning board’s decision sets a bad precedent that, if left unchallenged, could erode the number of historic churches still in use in the Holy City.

“I’ve talked to enough (council colleagues) to expect that this variance will not stand,” he said.

The temple-style church building was built around 1834 as a Methodist church, but its congregation merged with a Lutheran congregation in 1866.

St. Andrews Lutheran Church worshipped in the building until 2006, when it merged with another congregation to form the new Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in West Ashley. That church has leased the building to Redeemer Presbyterian Church, which still uses the property, said the Rev. Craig Bailey of Redeemer.

But the church also has been for sale for years, and Nancy Snowden has plans to buy the 6,445-square-foot sanctuary, neighboring 12,441-square-foot fellowship hall and a 15-space parking lot. She has zoning approval to turn the sanctuary into a home and to convert the fellowship building into two housing units and office space.

Read more in tomorrow’s editions of The Post and Courier.