Seattle is more secular than ever. While 44 percent of Seattleites identify as Christian, an equal portion claims no religious affiliation, per a recent study from Pew Research Center. (Portland’s the only city that can compete.) Only about 17 percent of Seattle residents report attending church weekly, compared with 25 percent in 2014. Which raises a question: Without a churchgoing population, what happens to all the churches?
Seattle has lost several architecturally and culturally significant churches in recent years. Cherry Hill Baptist Church, a 118-year-old building that served as a hub for Seattle’s Black community, was demolished in 2018. University Christian Church, a Gothic-style brick building that once housed the city’s largest organ, gave way to a seven-story apartment building.
But if your neighborhood church is of the Christian Science variety, count your blessings. The buildings’ sparse religious symbolism makes them particularly suited to reuse, per scholar Cindy Peyser Safronoff, and most of Seattle’s are still standing. Town Hall Seattle is one particularly recognizable example.
As is the former First Church of Christ, Scientist: From the street, its 120-year-old Bedford limestone facade seems to be waiting for Sunday to roll around. But people live here now, and it’s no parsonage. Developers transformed the space into a dozen unique townhomes after purchasing the building for $1.1 million in 2006.
Converting the historic landmark into luxury housing while maintaining its most standout features necessitated some unusual floor plans. The unit currently on the market spans four levels, and each of the three bedrooms has its very own floor.
The home has unorthodox perks. In the primary bedroom, a skylight opens out onto the lobby (behind a frosted-glass privacy screen) to offer unexpected views of the church’s domed stained-glass ceiling. The loft bedroom looks out onto the dining room’s massive stained-glass windows, which now slide open, and an impressive trio of candelabra chandeliers.
Despite the building’s history with crosses, much of the interior looks like a scene straight out of What We Do in the Shadows. “Think more mortuary, less sanctuary,” says interior designer Michelle Dirkse, who oversaw a more recent redesign.
The secret whiskey bar, hidden behind a mirror in the hallway, showcases that vampire theme particularly well thanks to moody stained glass and display cases kept under lock and (skeleton) key. The bathrooms also lean Gothic, with details like a lion-head faucet, a hand-carved travertine vanity, a serpentine door handle, and a candelabra chandelier.
Nearby, a neighborhood park, community P-Patch, and Porchlight Coffee and Records bring the home back to God’s green earth—and provide several Seattle-approved ways to spend a Sunday.
Listing Fast Facts
1849 16th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98112
Size: 2,610 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
List price: $2,420,000
List date: 3/17/2026
Listing agent: Matthew Pelascini, Windermere Real Estate/East