Beginning in the spring of 2023, renovation work at the manse has been going on at a steady pace. The kitchen was completely refitted with new cabinets, quartz countertops, and appliances. A new energy-efficient HVAC system was installed to serve the second and third floors. Every interior wall was repaired, stripped of wallpaper, and painted. Carpets were removed, revealing hardwood floors that were then repaired and refinished.
The fire displaced church administrator Alison Hurlock, Pastor Robin, and Victor Peterson* from their offices in the church building, so they set up offices in the manse. The manse also serves as a meeting space for Session and some church ministry teams and ad-hoc groups.
There is still renovation work to do, and it is getting done. Plans were made to replace the carpet in the third floor and the sheet-vinyl flooring in the sunroom with vinyl tile flooring, but then the Manse Renovation Team discovered that they could have hardwood floors installed for about the same price. So the sunroom and the third floor have beautiful new hardwood floors.
By the time you read this, work will have commenced to replace the wood-sash windows with energy-efficient, double-pane windows. After the first of the year, a new HVAC system will also be installed to service the first floor.
The Renovation Team is grateful to God and to the generous people of Grace Church for their financial support for the renovation project. Contributions are still welcome and can be made by going to gracemontclair.org/give and selecting “Manse Renovation” from the pull-down menu adjacent to the dollar amount. Thank you!
*Victor Peterson is a counselor who sees clients in an office at Grace. He has preached numerous times from our pulpit.