Courtesy / Malone Commercial Brokers
It was known for over 160 years as the Chestnut Street Church..
September 7, 2022
Once abandoned, a historic repurposed church in Portland hits market for $3.7M
Courtesy / Chris Keeley Photography
Grace Restaurant and Trine Events, in a former church in downtown Portland, is on the market for $3.73 million.
By Staff
A church dating back to 1836, once abandoned and later repurposed as an award-winning restaurant, hit the market Monday for $3.73 million.
The listing broker is Jennifer Small of Malone Commercial Brokers.
The former church is located at 15 Chestnut St., on the outskirts of downtown Portland’s West Bayside.
It was known for over 160 years as the Chestnut Street Church.
The former church, now known as Grace Restaurant and Trine Events, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of Portland’s few surviving examples of early Gothic Revival architecture, according to a news release.
It is also one of the few surviving examples of the work of Charles Alexander, a local architect of the 1850s and 1860s.
The church survived the Great Fire of 1866, which destroyed half of the city’s churches and commercial buildings.
The church was abandoned in 2005 and stood vacant for several years.
A local restaurateur, Anne Rutherford, bought it in 2007.
Rutherford invested $2 million into a restoration, which transformed the space into a 14,358-square-foot restaurant called Grace, which opened in 2009, according to the company’s website.
Courtesy / Malone Commercial Brokers
A mid-2000s restoration sought to honor the structure’s historic integrity while introducing updates.
The goal of the redesign was to honor the historic integrity of the structure — including 27 historic stained glass windows, restored woodwork, exposed beams and cathedral ceilings — while introducing updates, including a restaurant kitchen and custom circular bar. She located an open kitchen at the former altar.
Financing for the renovation included the use of historic preservation tax credits.
Greater Portland Landmarks awarded Rutherford a Special Preservation Honor Award for the restoration.
Grace went on to receive local and national recognition from publications such as Zagat, Bon Appetit and Travel + Leisure.
In 2019, the business focus shifted to being an event venue, Trine Events at Grace, which hosted over 50 weddings and private events that year.
This year, the event space is seeing a boom in bookings through 2022 and well into 2023.
The listing includes the property and the turnkey business. All of the furniture, fixtures and equipment are included in the sale price.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments