By Heather Rule

Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Wright had considered selling its 100-plus-year-old building. But church leaders and parishioners were hesitant, worried about what might happen if it changed hands.

“Their biggest fear was that they were going to sell it, and it was going to be torn down or … the original aesthetics of it would no longer be here,” said Terri Lott, a Wright City Council member.

At the same time, the City of Wright (population 186) was searching for a permanent space to serve as City Hall and a community center.

In 2024, after reading a story in the local newspaper about the city’s efforts, the congregation proposed an idea: what if the city took over the building and preserved it?

“That’s when they came up with the idea and proposed that the city take possession of it and keep it in its original state,” Lott said. “That’s what we agreed to do.”

After a unanimous decision from the City Council, Wright purchased the church building at the end of January 2025. The turn-key facility needed no renovations, and its sanctuary retains all the original stained-glass windows and a steeple.

The building sits at the corner of Highway 210 and Third Street, and is “very visible right from the highway,” said Mayor Donovan Ranta.

A ready-to-use City Hall

For years, the City Council met in the fire hall, which included a small room to store city files, and a small room for the city clerk, Marsha Arnold, to use.

“She could hardly turn around, the room was so small,” Ranta said. “That’s all we had for storage. Here, we have what we need. It’s perfect.

“We never had a spot of our own. We talked about building one,” he added.

The city even purchased property for a new City Hall before learning Bethlehem Lutheran was preparing to sell the building. With only a handful of members left, the congregation could no longer afford the building. As part of the sale, the sanctuary would be preserved as-is while other areas of the building would be used as a community center and City Hall.

“We’ve got all these beautiful stained-glass windows,” said Wright City Council member Gene Lott. “Each one is dedicated to a different family. … We want this to remain the way it is right now.”

Built in 1902, the structure survived a 1918 fire that destroyed most of the town. City leaders are now exploring having the building placed on the historical registry.

“It’s a historical building. It’s very old,” Terri Lott said. “It has deep roots in the community.”

Serving the community

The sanctuary can still be used for church services, weddings, or funerals. While the remaining 23 voting members of the congregation of Bethlehem Lutheran merged with another church six miles down the road in Cromwell, the sanctuary in Wright remains available for their use. More than 200 people attended the last official service at the church in late January before the sale.

The acquisition also gave the city a community center, or community hall where the Council now meets on the second Wednesday of each month. The space accommodates about 90 people and includes a full stainless-steel kitchen.

The hall has already hosted a couple of weddings, and anniversary, birthday, and graduation parties. It’s also home to weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and the building is open to the public.

“We want it to be used by townships as well as anybody else in the city. It’s going to open a lot of doors for perhaps anybody that needs a spot for their events,” Ranta said. “It’s the first time we’ve ever really had a City Hall in the City of Wright.”

Expanding uses

Beyond a space to conduct city business and for the public to host fun events, the hall also provides room for community education classes. The new space allows Wright to host social services clinics, babysitting classes, firearm safety training, and any other events that it couldn’t offer in the past because the city didn’t have the space.

“Now we do,” Terri Lott said.

Feedback from residents has been overwhelmingly positive, Ranta said.

“In fact, they’re eager to use it when they need it,” he added. “We’ve had some events happen this summer already.”

The space has hosted committee meetings for the annual Wrong Days in Wright festival, and the city hopes to add monthly food shelves through Ruby’s Pantry, plus vaccine clinics, and blood drives.

“We’ve just started using this only six months ago,” Ranta said. “We’ve been wanting to let people know around the area that it’s available.”

The city charges $100 for use of the building, which includes use of the kitchen, with a $50 returnable deposit if the space is left clean. Community members can contact a council member to reserve the space.

Ranta didn’t have specific advice for other cities seeking a city hall or community center, except to be open to unexpected opportunities.

“We actually really got lucky on this one, to tell you the truth,” Ranta said.

Heather Rule is a freelance writer.