Historic Corby Chapel estate for sale
By Charles Christian
A historic home originally built in 1871 as a chapel is for sale in St. Joseph.
The house, located at 5006 N.E. Amazonia Road, was converted from a chapel to a home in 1944. It now has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It also contains a stone fireplace and several sheds on nearly 10 acres of property.
Owner Dana Meers said she and her husband raised two kids in the house in their three-plus decades as owners and she hopes the next buyers will be able to enjoy both the history and convenience of the home.
“I’ve been here many, many years,” Meers said. “It was nice to have a place where my kids and all of their friends could come, and hope another family wants to enjoy the place, too.”
The house currently lists for $649,900, and boasts 3,351 square feet of space. Real estate agent Lisa Wisdom-Strayer said the house blends historic architecture and historic amenities with modern amenities and plenty of space.
“It’s hard to pick a certain thing to highlight,” Wisdom-Strayer said, “because there are so many wonderful things about this house. It’s kind of like a hidden gem, because it’s a historical landmark that also has all the modern amenities.”
Meers said that even though it is listed as a historical landmark, buyers are not bound by restrictions that often accompany houses of this age. Also, because the house is technically just outside the city limits of St. Joseph, owners have more options in regard to use of the land, both for recreation and for landscaping.
Wisdom-Strayer said the building is constructed of native limestone in a neo-Gothic style of the mid-Victorian Era. Hand-painted frescos are part of the interior. Being near Krug Park and all the conveniences of St. Joseph are also key selling points for the house, according to Wisdom-Strayer.
Meers said that during their nearly four decades of ownership, they have refurbished the house with amenities like a new roof, new gutters, new HVAC system and kitchen updates.
The road to the entrance of the property is paved, as is the driveway.
The estate was originally named for former St. Joseph Mayor John Corby by his widow, Amanda, and the upstairs portion of the home still bears original altar paintings, even though it ceased to be a church in the 1940s.
