3 minute read
At Home In An Upperville Church
At Home In An Upperville Church
By Michele Husfelt
On Fifth Sunday evenings, you’ll typically find him at church with friends and neighbors he’s invited over. It’s a place where he feels quite at home. Because, in this instance, the church actually is his home.
Ed Fogle and his wife, Kimberley, purchased an abandoned little church building 25 years ago on the outskirts of Upperville. Formerly the home of Mt. Olive M.E. Church, Ed and Kimberley spent years transforming the space into a beautiful sanctuary they call home.
One evening as he traveled from his apartment on Capitol Hill, a few blocks from his work as an architect at the Capitol, to their sprawling house in Front Royal, Ed took Route 50 to Upperville and headed south on Delaplane Grade Road to continue back on to I-66.
As he rounded the corner out of the village, he noticed the old church and was instantly drawn to its perfect architectural lines and symmetry. Pulling into the gravel drive, Ed got out and walked the property, then noticed an old handwritten note on the door that read, “For Sale.”
He called and spoke to the deacon who came over to open the church. As they entered the front door, Ed proclaimed it as “gorgeous,” even after it had been empty for ten years. Then it was time to go home and convince his wife.
Given a bit of time, Kimberley eventually fell in love with the church, as well, and they made weekend trips to oversee renovations and, as Ed chuckled, “change the design most weekends.”
Through a few connections at the cabinet shop in the Capitol, Ed happened upon a gentleman in the area named Steve, who had just come out of rehab and was looking for a new focus. Ed and Steve hit it off, and Steve did most of the work to make the church habitable.
The original church was designed by its then 82-year-old pastor, and built by the members of the congregation, an attractive feature to Ed. After beginning the restoration, Ed said, “There’s a lot of hands in this pie.”
“That’s why it feels the way it does,” he added. “That’s what got me when I walked in. People. You can feel them.”
The restoration meticulously maintained the rich heritage and sacred aura of this historical space, and the Fogles continue to honor the Mt. Olive congregation with a photo of the pastor hanging just inside the narthex along with a historical plaque adorning the entrance.
Downsizing from 4,500 square feet to 600 square feet was quite the challenge, but the peaceful abode and surrounding countryside was well worth it. Both Ed and Kimberly are fully retired now and say they enjoy the slower pace of small village living.
Strolling on the few side roads and Route 50, and typically wearing a kilt and Birkenstocks, Ed is a welcome excuse to stop and say hello, chat about the weather, and stay for a short story. He exudes warmth and friendship and embodies a sense of community.
Asked why he was initially attracted to Upperville, he laughed and said, “It seems everybody in Upperville lives longer. There’s something to that.”
So, on Fifth Sunday evenings, if you’re looking for the village folk, wander over to “Ed and Kimberley’s church.” That’s where you’ll find them, enjoying each other’s company, sharing stories, and honoring the history of Mt. Olive M.E. Church.
