A number of Lawrence’s small, neighborhood churches built before 1900 have been renovated and converted into homes or businesses.

photo by: Sara Shepherd

647 Maple St., North Lawrence. Built in 1897 as St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, recently purchased and being renovated for use as an artist studio.

photo by: Mike Yoder

In this 2009 file photo, St. James AME pastor Theodore Lee looks to the choir and starts a song shortly after the church reopened following several years of structural repairs. The 1897 building was purchased in late 2013 and is currently being converted for use as an artist studio.

photo by: Richard Gwin

The 1897 cornerstone of St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, 647 Maple St. in North Lawrence, is pictured in this 2010 file photo.

photo by: Sara Shepherd

1001 Kentucky St. Built in 1870 as United Presbyterian Church, now home to four condominiums.

photo by: Richard Gwin

In this 2007 file photo, Robert Wilson stands in one of four newly finished residential units inside the former United Presbyterian Church at 1001 Kentucky St. Wilson renovated the 1870 church into four condominiums, dubbed Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

photo by: Sara Shepherd

1146 Connecticut St. Built in 1873 (possibly earlier) as Free Methodist Episcopal Church, currently being renovated into a single-family residence.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Tom Harper, Lawrence, purchased and is renovating this former church at 1146 Connecticut St. into a single-family residence.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Tom Harper, Lawrence, sands wood planks inside a former church at 1146 Connecticut St. Harper purchased the building and is renovating it into a single-family residence. The wood-frame building was first constructed in 1873 (possibly earlier) as the Free Methodist Episcopal Church, and Harper believes the church was lifted to enable the basement to be added in a later decade.

photo by: Sara Shepherd

1040 New Hampshire St. Built in 1870 as English Lutheran Church, now an office building.

photo by: Nick Krug

Attorney David J. Brown is pictured inside his office building, a historic 1870 church at 1040 New Hampshire, in this 2013 file photo. Interior renovations are modern and bright.

photo by: Sara Shepherd

1000 New York St. Built 1872 as German Methodist Episcopal Church, now a single-family residence.

photo by: Richard Gwin

Matt Hislope of Austin, left, and Josh Meyer of Los Angeles, pictured in this 2013 file photo, are the current residents of the renovated church at 1000 New York St. Their year-long pop-up artist colony, which they call the Pilot Balloon Church-House, has attracted visiting artists from across the country.

photo by: Richard Gwin

Physical theater artist Molly Armstrong of Blue Lake, Calif., a two-and-a-half-week artist in residence, creates paper mâché masks in late 2013 inside Pilot Balloon Church-House, a pop-up artist colony in a renovated church at 1000 New York St.