GREENFIELD — A home builder has expanded its offices into a neighboring 114-year-old former church building downtown that closed this summer.
When Joyner Homes, located at 123 W. Main St., developed the need for more office space, the business didn’t have to go far after finding the former First Presbyterian Church directly to its south at 116 W. South St.
Joyner Properties LLC bought the property for $85,000, according to recent real estate transfers recorded in the Hancock County Recorder’s Office.
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Sara Joyner, who owns Joyner Homes with her husband, Tom, said the business has operated in its current office for about five years. They were considering converting part of their warehouse into office space when they found out the church was available.
“We thought it was the perfect fit for us,” Sara Joyner said.
She added the former church building has a good existing office area and that their short-term plans are to create a conference room and some additional private offices.
Tom Joyner said the business had about five or six employees when it moved into its location downtown and has since grown to about 15 to 16. He said the business will benefit from additional parking provided by the former church property as well.
They’ve done some small cosmetic renovations so far and have already started using the building for office space, Tom Joyner continued. He added there’s more room to spread out there and socially distance better.
“We’re thinking there’s a variety of uses it could turn into over time, and we’re probably going to look at taking on some tenants there,” he also said.
The Joyners said the future of the property is bright with the way downtown has improved and the new nearby Depot Street Park on the horizon.
“We just think it’s a neat old building that we’d rather keep local and make it a community asset,” Tom Joyner said.
Sara Joyner agreed, adding it also aligns with the company’s drive to incorporate rich characteristics and historical aspects into its homes.
“It adds to our story,” she said.
Joyner Homes has built homes in several neighborhoods in Hancock County and in surrounding counties as well. Earlier this year, the company received approval from Greenfield officials to develop 90 single-family lots on 37 acres east of Blue Road and south of County Road 200N.
First Presbyterian Church, whose congregation had dwindled to just a handful of members, had its last service downtown in July.
When the church was started in 1855, the Presbyterians met in the former Masonic Hall on the southeast corner of Main and Pennsylvania streets, where Joyner Homes’ main office building is today. They built their first church at 116 W. South St. in 1868 and replaced it with the building that stands there today in 1906.
