Historic Troy LLC was formed in July as a for-profit limited liability company. Scott Strayer, a local real estate professional, is listed as the statutory agent.
“We are not going to tear it down. It will be redone,” Strayer said. While confirming the structure will be saved, he said plans for its use probably won’t be disclosed until January.
As it looked for options for expansion in 2017, the Family Abuse Shelter’s initial plans included expanding to the east, where the church is located. The church had been owned by the shelter since 2000. It was sold Aug. 4 for $198,000, according to Miami County auditor’s records.
Any plan that involved removing the church was opposed by a group of local historical organizations that called themselves the Unity for Trinity Committee. The committee also included those interested in preserving and finding new uses for the church, which it said was one of the five oldest structures in town.
The committee said the church was a community asset and historically important as the only structure left with noteworthy ties to the canal era as the site of an 1837 canal dedication speech by future president William Henry Harrison and with ties to the area’s Underground Railroad system.
“We in the Troy historical community are thrilled and grateful that the building is being preserved and will continue to be a place where residents can see where history happened,” said Judy Deeter of the Troy Historical Society. “If the old church building walls could talk, they could tell stories of our religious, educational, cultural and political history. It is a wonderful old building.”
Barb Holman, Family Abuse Shelter executive director, said she was pleased with the sale of the church.
“I am so glad that we found a buyer who sees beauty in the church and plans to preserve it,” she said. “The church will remain intact and the shelter will get a new facility that meets community needs. It’s a great resolution.”
The abuse shelter continues to own its current shelter building at 16 E. Franklin St. Work underway on its new, expanded home off Crescent Drive in Troy. Fundraising continues for the $2.3 million new shelter project, which will provide separate living areas for victims of domestic violence and homelessness.
More information on the shelter and its offerings is available at familyabuseshelterofmiamicounty.org.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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