A buyer has been identified for the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church and its adjacent office building, Asbury House.
This month, congregation members were informed that the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, which owns these two significant properties, has entered into a contract for their sale.
The church is located at 2 E. Mount Vernon Place, while Asbury House is situated at 10 E. Mount Vernon Place.
The anticipated settlement date is July.
This sale marks a significant development following a previous contract that fell through over a year ago.
The new buyer, UNITE Mount Vernon Inc., is a recently-formed entity registered with the state of Maryland in January 2025.
The registered agent’s address for UNITE Mount Vernon is 700 Washington Place in Mount Vernon.
However, the sale price has not yet been disclosed.
At this point, the buyer has not engaged with the congregation or shared specific plans regarding the future of the two buildings.
Congregation members have only been told that UNITE Mount Vernon consists of community members aiming to preserve the historic church and restore it for compatible uses.
The intent is to revitalize the church, making it a beneficial asset for the surrounding historic district of Mount Vernon.
Congregants have also been assured that the buyers wish to prevent the church from remaining dormant and to avert any inappropriate development at that pivotal location.
The church is recognized as one of Baltimore’s most photographed buildings, designed by architects Thomas Dixon and Charles Carson and completed in 1872.
With a main sanctuary that accommodates 900 people, the church features a rose window inspired by the one at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Moreover, the facility includes various gathering spaces, from the intimate Bosley Chapel to the large multi-purpose Davis Hall.
The building also houses a significant M. P. Moeller organ, consisting of 3,927 pipes.
Restoration estimates suggest that a complete overhaul could potentially cost millions, likely requiring considerable fundraising efforts.
Nevertheless, preservationists have noted that renovations could be conducted in phases, enabling some currently inactive sections of the building to become usable more quickly.
There are discussions about the possibility of reopening a former basement-level child care center within the next month.
As part of the sale agreement, UNITE Mount Vernon has proposed a long-term lease that would allow the existing Methodist congregation to continue worshipping in certain areas of the church while renovations and restoration work are carried out.
Interestingly, although Asbury House was not part of the original sale listing, the buyer successfully negotiated for its inclusion.
Architects familiar with both structures have argued that including Asbury House in the sale offers the buyer greater options for renovating the church sensitively.
If the sale proceeds, it would signify the culmination of a lengthy process during which the Conference sought to sell the church without displacing its congregation.
This outcome is particularly significant for Wanda Duckett, retiring Superintendent of the Conference’s Baltimore Metropolitan District, who aimed to find a steward that would honor the church’s history and legacy, having been a fixture in Mount Vernon Place for over 150 years.
For the small congregation, this news offers a crucial reprieve.
Despite roof leaks, falling plaster, and other structural issues, members have continued to meet in the building, even with parts being deemed unsafe.
Many in the community were led to believe that the church had closed due to reports of its sale, yet the congregation has remained intact.
Starting in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, congregation meetings shifted online, as was common for many religious groups during that time.
Once lockdowns were lifted, members reconvened in Asbury House’s second-floor library for over a year, before moving to their current location in the Mount Vernon Room, located behind the main sanctuary.
Additionally, the church has provided a hybrid service option, allowing members to participate via Zoom.
The congregation originally owned both buildings until a vote seven years ago led them to transfer ownership to the United Methodist Conference due to financial constraints.
Under the new long-term lease, they will become tenants of UNITE Mount Vernon, exempt from utility and maintenance costs, including snow removal.
This arrangement eases their concerns about the upkeep of the buildings while ensuring a space for continued worship.
“I’m very pleased,” remarked Pastor Angelic Williams after the lease was signed by congregation representatives.
“It provides us with the opportunity to do the work that God has challenged us to do, relieving us from the cloud of uncertainty.”
The church was officially listed for sale after a previous contract with a developer, Joseph Novoseller of Aria Legacy Group in New Jersey, fell through following his sudden death.
PraiseBuildings, a firm specializing in church property sales, handled the listing and previously offered two sales prices: $1.35 million if the congregation would have to vacate, and $600,000 if a 49-year lease granting the congregation continued access was established.
The lower price aimed to incentivize a buyer to agree to a long-term, no-cost lease for the congregation, allowing them to maintain their worship and office space.
In addition to this reduced price, the sales flyer indicated that owner financing might be available to buyers intending to use the church as a worship facility.
Initially, Asbury House was excluded from the listing, but UNITE Mount Vernon chose to include it to facilitate a seamless renovation process.
The new lease allows the congregation to use part of the church for 50 years, with an annual payment of just $100, covering heating, electricity, and water expenses.
The congregation’s lease provides access primarily to the Mount Vernon Room, where members have been holding Sunday services, and a smaller Sunday school room adjacent to it.
Both rooms are conveniently located on the same level as the main sanctuary and have an entrance off Charles Street.
Shared spaces, such as restrooms, hallways, and a kitchen, are also included in the lease.
However, it does not encompass off-street parking.
This week, two representatives from the congregation signed the lease, marking a crucial step toward closing out the sale process.
Neither representatives from the conference nor UNITE Mount Vernon had signed the lease by the time congregational representatives did.
The lease remains undated, but members were informed it will take effect as soon as the transaction is finalized.
The church and Asbury House have rich histories, with their construction overseen by different owners before being united as a single property and later legally subdivided.
The church stands on the site where Charles Howard, son of Revolutionary War officer John Eager Howard, once had a mansion, and where Francis Scott Key passed away in 1843.
As a prime example of Victorian Gothic architecture, the building features three spires and an exterior crafted from six different types of stone, costing a total of $400,000 when completed in 1872.
Named for the first American Methodist bishop, Francis Asbury, Asbury House was constructed around 1855 for shipping magnate Albert Schumacher.
Once recognized as one of Baltimore’s most impressive residences, it features a brownstone front, intricate mosaic interiors, uniquely shaped octagonal parlors, and a domed skylight over a remarkable hanging spiral staircase.
In 1893, the house was sold to George von Lingen, the German consul in Baltimore, who is credited with bringing in German artisans to enhance its second-floor library with detailed carvings, built-in bookshelves, and a grand ceiling painting.
The church acquired Asbury House in 1957 for its offices, and the two properties were later combined in state land records.
Doorways were also constructed to connect the two buildings.
In 2020, the Methodist Conference attempted to sell the two buildings to Novoseller, who wanted to separate the church from Asbury House for individual sales.
Even prior to finalizing the sale, Novoseller marketed Asbury House at a price comparable to what he proposed paying for both properties.
He indicated vague plans for the church, suggesting that while the congregation could remain, he wanted to incorporate additional uses, possibly arts-related.
Novoseller’s plans met community opposition, concerned primarily over the church’s future and its connection to the adjoining building.
The local community association, the Mount Vernon Belvedere Association (MVBA), appealed after the Planning Commission approved Novoseller’s subdivision proposal despite strong public dissent, triggering a lengthy legal battle.
Ultimately, after extensive legal and financial investments by the MVBA, the Maryland Appellate Court upheld the Planning Commission’s decisions.
However, Novoseller’s untimely passing in early 2024 left the Conference still owning the church and Asbury House.
Had the MVBA not intervened, it is highly probable the sale would have concluded.
Following Novoseller’s death, the Conference re-listed the church for sale without initially including Asbury House, leading to a well-attended open house event last July.
The recent reports of a potential buyer and the favorable lease agreement generated significant interest among the congregation.
Some members recently gathered to prepare Asbury House for the sale, removing church-related items like old Bibles and recordings of the choir.
At a recent Sunday service, Pastor Williams concluded the service by presenting each member with a plate featuring an image of the church as a token of appreciation.
On Wednesday, the congregation formally accepted the terms of the $100-a-year lease, expressing gratitude for the efforts of Duckett, Williams, and the Conference in securing their interests.
Excitement is building among the members as they await further information on the buyer’s plans and how they can collaborate for a successful future.
image source from：baltimorefishbowl
