The Kingston Parish rectory, a fixture on Mathews Main Street for well over a century, is on the cusp of major renovations aimed at helping to fill a need for affordable workforce housing in the county.

Architectural plans have been made for two apartments in the structure, a committee is in place to carry the project forward, and an agreement for property management is in the works. The major need now is funding to pay for the renovations, and a fundraising initiative has been launched for that purpose.

Alexander Wilson, principal advisor to the Kingston Housing Initiative Fund, which is held by the Mathews Community Foundation, said Kingston Episcopal Parish accepted the committee’s proposal for the project, which is aimed at benefitting the community, and has given the committee two years to raise the money to renovate the c. 1890s home. He anticipates that the project will take around $350,000. The fund currently stands at around $120,000.

Bill Stearns is chairman of the project’s structural/construction subcommittee, which also includes Bill Leary, architect Tim Hudgins, and contractor Linwood Burton of Bush Construction. Other members of the overall committee are Nina Buzby, Willie Hubbard, Frances Hudgins, Bernadette La Casse, Ron Lambert, Martha McCartney and Josie Thorpe.

Stearns said the committee decided that, because two separate living quarters needed to be created in the building, it would be most cost-effective to remove all plaster and sheetrock from the interior walls and ceilings and to remove all mechanical, electrical and plumbing components. He said committee members were glad to find that the structural members were all in good shape, that there are hardwood floors throughout that can probably be refinished, and that the staircase remains sturdy and usable.

Renovations will involve installing new plumbing, wiring, insulation, and HVAC systems; replacing the entire roof, including some structural components to accommodate drainage; installing new kitchen cabinets and appliances in each apartment; creating closet space and a new bathroom in each living quarters; and converting an existing boiler room into storage that can accommodate both apartments as well as groundskeeping equipment.

Wilson said that in order to create two separate spaces, the stairway hall at the back of the house will be split in two, with access leading inside from the existing screened porch, one door for the downstairs apartment and one accessing the stairs for the upstairs apartment. Since each apartment will need two means of ingress and egress, the downstairs apartment will use the existing front door, while the upstairs apartment will have a second stairwell, probably outside.

Because the rectory is part of the historic fabric of the court house area, Wilson said the committee “felt it was very important to maintain the exterior appearance as best we could,” so while the entire structure will see exterior improvements, including demolition of a lean-to shed, replacement of all the windows and doors, and new shingles, it will maintain the current look.

Who will live there?

Wilson said there is a recognized shortage of housing in Mathews for prospective teachers, first responders and other civil servants, and that those are the people who will be considered first for tenancy. Letters he had from Sheriff April Edwards and assistant superintendent of schools Lesley Hunley outlined the issues.

Edwards said that it has been increasingly difficult for the sheriff’s office to find qualified applicants for employment, and that the office had to alter its longstanding policy requiring that employees reside in Mathews because people simply couldn’t find houses they could afford to buy or vacant rental property. She said the majority of her employees now live outside of the county.

Hunley said that being in a beautiful coastal community helps attract top talent, but that prospective employees can’t find places to live. The school board office maintains a list of local independent rental properties, she said, but that list has dwindled over the years because some landlords have sold their properties while others are “focusing on hosting tourists through the short-term rental market rather than long-term tenants.” She pointed out that there are no large apartment complexes in Mathews “with reliable immediate availability.”

Hunley said she and her staff often have to recommend housing outside of Mathews, and that “we have had prospective new hires express to us how much they want to be part of our community and work in our school division, but housing was too much of a barrier.”

About the rectory

According to background information provided by Wilson, the Kingston Parish rectory is “a fine example of vernacular architecture” that was likely built by the Armistead family, which sold their residence, situated on six acres, to Kingston Parish in 1894. It is a component of the Mathews Downtown Historic District, the Virginia Landmarks Register, and the National Register of Historic Places.

The rectory was once the home of the Rev. Giles Cooke, an important figure in reconciliation in the early 20th century and founder of the Saint Paul’s School in Petersburg, an educational institution for young Black children. It was also the birthplace in 1915 of John Warren Cooke, the longest serving speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (and past owner of the Gazette-Journal).

Wilson provided a statement written by Nina Buzby, who said that she and her husband Richard moved into the rectory in 1976 and lived there for seven years. She described the building as “a wonderful structure with a spacious attic for storage, large high ceilings, well-lighted rooms, and a welcoming flow pattern.” She said she often hosted luncheons there for the bishop and 30-40 people after confirmations. Young adult groups “danced and laughed in the living room,” she said, and “single seniors were invited to have dinner with us there.” From time to time, a troubled individual might stay after counseling and emergency intervention, she said.

“One year my husband and I dressed like a butler and maid and hosted a pre-prom dinner for students in our youth group,” said Buzby. “If the rectory could talk, I’m sure it would share many happy memories of the previous rectors and their families.”

Since it stopped being used as a rectory, the building has served as a rental property and a Sunday school building, said Wilson, but it has been vacant for several decades and recently has been threatened with demolition.

To help with the project, donations can be made in the following ways: By check payable to the Mathews Community Foundation Kingston Housing Initiative, mailed to Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, P.O. Box 49044, Baltimore, Maryland 21297-9044; by wire or electronic transfer (for instructions, contact Jonathan Putt at 804-436-1600); or by direct transfer from another Richmond/Mathews Community Foundation fund.

For more information, contact Wilson at 757-880-2902 or h.alexander.wilson@gmail.com.