The former Staveley Presbyterian Church has been bought for $80k by the Staveley Hall Society.
It was funded by the people of Staveley, built by people of Staveley and now owned by the people of Staveley via the society.
The church opened in 1903.
Society member Alan Totty said they were delighted that donations from current and former residents raised the $80,000 needed to purchase it from the Presbyterian Church.
‘‘We already have one booking for a wedding,’’ Totty said.
‘‘The church was more than just a building, it was a tribute to the past and an asset for the community,’’ he said.
A committee will soon be formed to take care of the church including cleaning, maintenance and ground care.
Totty thinks the community was very happy church was now in their hands.
‘‘There has been a lot of interest from the community in us purchasing the church,’’ Totty said.
The hall society already owns the Staveley hall, the Staveley Ice Rink and former Springburn School which now houses the Staveley Museum.
Meanwhile two other former Presbyterian churches have also hit the market, St Andrew’s at Rakaia and Trinity Presbyterian Church at Mayfield. St Andrew’s has just sold for $385,000, while Mayfield’s asking price is $365,000.
