St. Bridget renovated the century-old church at 6112 Three Chopt Road. (Mike Platania)
The transformation of a century-old West End church into an extension of a local private school is complete.
Saint Bridget School has moved students into its new middle school building at 6112 Three Chopt Road. The private school purchased the former Westhampton Baptist Church for $850,000 in 2015 and began a $6 million renovation project.
Principal George Sadler said the school funded the project with $2.7 million in donations and $1 million in historic tax credits, and will receive a loan for $2.2 million through the Catholic Diocese of Richmond.
Saint Bridget added 25,000 square feet, including 10 new classrooms and a performing arts center in what was once WBC’s sanctuary. The church building was built in 1914. It sits less than a mile from Saint Bridget’s original location at 6011 York Road, which will continue its elementary school operations.
“It feels great to be in here,” Sadler said from the halls of the new middle school. “The intent is to provide a strong learning environment, and we were busting at the seams down the road.”
Saint Bridget enrolls 150 students in its middle school, and Sadler said the new space can hold up to 180. The school’s seventh- and eighth-graders will be in the new building for the rest of the school year, with sixth-graders joining them in the fall.
The Saint Bridget School class of 2017 will be the first to graduate in the new school later this summer.
Saint Bridget serves around 350 students. It offers classes from kindergarten through eighth grade, and tuition ranges from $4,400 to $7,200.
St. Bridget renovated the century-old church at 6112 Three Chopt Road. (Mike Platania)
The transformation of a century-old West End church into an extension of a local private school is complete.
Saint Bridget School has moved students into its new middle school building at 6112 Three Chopt Road. The private school purchased the former Westhampton Baptist Church for $850,000 in 2015 and began a $6 million renovation project.
Principal George Sadler said the school funded the project with $2.7 million in donations and $1 million in historic tax credits, and will receive a loan for $2.2 million through the Catholic Diocese of Richmond.
Saint Bridget added 25,000 square feet, including 10 new classrooms and a performing arts center in what was once WBC’s sanctuary. The church building was built in 1914. It sits less than a mile from Saint Bridget’s original location at 6011 York Road, which will continue its elementary school operations.
“It feels great to be in here,” Sadler said from the halls of the new middle school. “The intent is to provide a strong learning environment, and we were busting at the seams down the road.”
Saint Bridget enrolls 150 students in its middle school, and Sadler said the new space can hold up to 180. The school’s seventh- and eighth-graders will be in the new building for the rest of the school year, with sixth-graders joining them in the fall.
The Saint Bridget School class of 2017 will be the first to graduate in the new school later this summer.
Saint Bridget serves around 350 students. It offers classes from kindergarten through eighth grade, and tuition ranges from $4,400 to $7,200.
As a former lifelong member of Westhampton Baptist Church, I am so happy to see this beautiful historic building restored and being used in the community for the education of our children, both spiritually and academically. I can’t wait to see it!
I agree that it is great to see this building renovated and being put to a good use. I drive by there almost every day, and it’s wonderful to see the improvements – though I do wish St. Bridget had stepped up the landscaping a little bit. They pretty much left it exactly as it was. I’m also a little surprised they can qualify for historic tax credits with the giant 21st century air handler on the roof. It is quite visible from Three Chopt and St. Christopher’s Roads. The modern aluminum doors facing St. Christopher’s Road are a bit… Read more »
Seriously, is it possible in the 21st century to have anything accomplished without someone finding something to complain about?
What a wonderful project! St. Bridget’s use of the building for its middle school is a perfect fit for the historic church!