Spaces: Divine Providence

Touchdown Realty Group and David Sisson Architecture turned the abandoned Hood Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in Providence’s Elmwood neighborhood into fifteen apartments. Photography by Christian Scully/Design Imaging Studios

Turning the abandoned Hood Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church into fifteen apartments seemed, at times, to require holy intervention. A miracle, perhaps.

The building withstood years of neglect with renovations falling through when a previous owner lost it in foreclosure proceedings. By the time architect David Sisson was called in, the church in Providence’s Elmwood neighborhood had been abandoned for decades, sogged through with years of water damage and graffiti.

“It was in really rough condition,” Sisson says.

The shingle and stone building at 126 Adelaide Ave. began life as the Westminster Unitarian Church in 1901. The Unitarians left in 1959, replaced by Swedish Methodists until 1977, when it became home to the Hood Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church. Decades later, the congregation left the building, which landed on Providence Preservation Society’s Most Endangered Property list in 2014 and 2015 after years of neglect.

A cutting-edge kitchen inside the circa 1901 building, now known as The Noble. Photography by Christian Scully/Design Imaging Studios

Touchdown Realty Group purchased it in December 2021 and commissioned David Sisson Architecture to help with design, construction drawings and the approval process, and brought on Paradis Construction of Exeter as general contractor to turn the property into The Noble complex.

“Our goal was to preserve the historic character of the building as much as possible, while making it functional enough to support the significant investment required to save the building,” Sisson says.

A celestial mural (really wallpaper in disguise) is a striking centerpiece of the former sanctuary space, which residents use for recreation, co-working and events. Photography by Christian Scully/Design Imaging Studios

That required working with the Providence Historic District Commission on most changes. They were able to save most of the shingles and made minimal changes to the exterior, such as adding basement windows and dormers.

(Due to a communication mishap, contractors painted most of the exterior granite a glossy dark gray that would not budge, despite numerous attempts by Thomas Clayton, Touchdown Realty Group’s owner, to remove it. The commission warily agreed to the new surprise color if it was toned down to a matte finish. It was.)

One of the biggest design challenges was fitting a second story into the building without changing the height of the structure. To do that, Sisson took off half of the roof, removed framing members and boards that were running every which way, and added a floor and stairways. With the added space, they could fit fifteen residential units within the basement and first and second floors.

The mostly intact granite and shingle exterior. Photography by Christian Scully/Design Imaging Studios

Another obstacle involved the church’s sanctuary.

“One struggle we had, which is always a struggle in any church conversion project, is what do you do with the sanctuary? Because all churches have big sanctuaries that are often too large to make into an apartment,” Sisson says.

They decided to preserve it as open common space, which residents now use as a co-working, recreation or event area. During the day, the hall is lit through the original stained-glass windows highlighting the original millwork, soaring arches and exposed beams, all anchored by a cosmic mural dedicated to Providence.

A restored stained-glass window.
Photography by Christian Scully/Design Imaging Studios

The project won three Rhode Island Monthly 2026 Design Awards: first place for Historic Renovation — Residential and Unique Indoor Space, and second place for Historic Renovation — Commercial.

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of the project, after all the construction logistics were ironed out, was trying to win over some concerned neighborhood residents who wanted to see the building preserved — and used — as a church.

“The community decided that the value of that historic building was very important,” Sisson says. “But we were in a situation where no church was stepping forward to renovate it and turn it into a church. And so then it sits empty, and at some point, if a building’s left long enough, it’ll just fall down.

Most of the original millwork and exposed beams inside the church’s nave were salvaged and restored. Photography by Christian Scully/Design Imaging Studios

“I have to think that adding housing units to Providence is a good thing, and providing new housing in that neighborhood is a good thing, and taking an abandoned building and turning it into a not-abandoned building is a good thing for any neighborhood.”

Clayton, who dedicated the project to his late father, Thomas Clayton, agrees. “I’ve come across so many people who said they got married there, their families used to go to church there, so to be able to use it as a platform to represent my dad, as well as provide housing for the community, warms my heart, and I can only imagine that he would feel the same if he was here,” he says.

New lighting fixtures highlight the original stained-glass windows. Photography by Christian Scully/Design Imaging Studios