A historic church renovation rooted in faith, community, and care
Renovating a church that has served Winchester since 1753 requires more than updating a building. It requires balancing preservation, accessibility, and modern functionality while respecting a place that has been part of the community for generations.
At Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, the current renovation is helping prepare communal spaces and offices for the future while honoring the character and history that have shaped the congregation for more than 270 years.
For many members of Grace, this project has been decades in the making. Conversations about improving the building have taken place for more than 30 years, with generations of congregation members helping guide the vision for what the church could become.
As construction continues, much of the work taking place today will eventually disappear behind walls, ceilings, and finished spaces. While these elements may never be seen, they are often the details that matter most. Preserving historic features and integrating new systems within an existing structure requires careful planning and thoughtful decision-making. Those efforts will help Grace continue serving its congregation and community for years to come.
Preserving history through the details people may never see
Renovating a historic church requires more than construction experience. It requires patience, listening, and respect for the details that make the building meaningful to the people who know it best.
Throughout the project, the Warfel team has carefully preserved the church’s original elements while incorporating necessary updates. Original doors and stained glass were removed, stored safely, and prepared for reinstallation. These pieces will be refinished, with custom-built trim designed to match the character of the existing building.
Those details matter. They help the renovated spaces feel connected to the church’s history, rather than separate from it.
For a congregation with such deep roots, preserving the building’s look and feel is part of honoring the people, traditions, and memories that have shaped Grace over time.
Improving access for the people who use the church every day
While preservation has been an important part of the renovation, the project is also focused on making the building more functional and accessible for today’s congregation.
Before the renovation, navigating parts of the church was difficult for wheelchair users and for older members who could no longer comfortably use stairs. Access required a longer, less direct route through the building, creating challenges for the people who rely on these spaces most.
The renovation is helping improve that experience with the installation of a wheelchair lift and a new elevator.
Working through the realities of a historic renovation
As the Warfel team moved through construction, existing conditions required thoughtful coordination and flexibility. After the flooring was removed, the team uncovered rotted joists that needed to be addressed. In portions of the kitchen area, the plan shifted to include concrete, creating a stronger long-term solution for a space that will continue to serve the congregation.
Other details required careful field adjustments, including roof steel dunnage that was not level or square, as well as fire curtain and structural coordination.
These moments are common in renovation work, especially in older buildings. They are also where planning, communication, and problem-solving become especially important. Each condition had to be reviewed in the context of the building’s history, the church’s goals, and the space’s long-term use.
Coordination behind the scenes
Behind the visible progress, careful coordination has helped keep the project moving forward.
Warfel’s Virtual Design and Construction team supported the project by coordinating work floor by floor, helping trade partners understand how new systems would fit within the existing building. In a historic structure with tight clearances and limited space above ceilings, this coordination helped identify and resolve potential conflicts before they became larger issues in the field.
The team worked through details such as restroom layouts near existing beams, crowded HVAC chases, and the elevations needed for plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems. These are the kinds of details most people may never see, but they play an important role in creating a finished space that functions well.
In a building like Grace, coordination is not just about fitting systems into place. It is about doing so carefully, with respect for what already exists.
A project shaped by people
For the Warfel team, one of the most meaningful parts of the project has been working alongside the people of Grace.
For Jim Shives, Superintendent of the GELC project, that connection has stood out most. “Talking with them and seeing the smiles on their faces,” he shared, has been especially meaningful, knowing this renovation has been “30-some years in the making.”
Andrew McIntyre, Field Engineer, echoed that same appreciation. “The historic portion of this project, along with interacting with members of the church, has been really special,” he said. “They are such great people.”
Their excitement, patience, and connection to the building have shaped the renovation from the beginning. It is a reminder that construction is often about more than the work taking place within the walls. It is about the people who will gather there, the memories already made, and the future moments the space will support.
Continuing the story of Grace
As the renovation continues, finishes, flooring, fixtures, doors, HVAC startup, and other details are bringing the project closer to completion.
But the heart of this project has been clear from the beginning.
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church has a long history, and this renovation is another chapter in that story. It preserves pieces of the past, improves the building for today’s congregation, and helps create a more welcoming, accessible space for those who will worship, gather, work, and serve there in the years ahead.
Warfel is grateful to support Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church through this meaningful renovation and to play a small role in caring for a place that has meant so much to the Winchester community for generations.
