Old Rock Church in Providence needs a savior, owner tells historic preservation panel

By Megan Maughan Roe

December 2, 2004 | PROVIDENCE -- The best way to save the historic Old Rock Church is to create a nonprofit foundation to upkeep the 135-year-old building, owner Karl Seethaler said at the Historic Preservation Commission meeting Tuesday night.

Seethaler, also a member of the commission, said the reception hall-bed and breakfast is struggling financially and must have outside funds to preserve it as one of Cache Valley's oldest buildings. He announced his plan to create the foundation at the meeting in hopes that the other members of the commission might give him ideas on how to establish the organization, and join him in forming a steering committee to decide what to do with the building.

"I want to be sure the Old Rock Church is here for a long time after I'm gone," Seethaler said. "The best thing to do is move toward forming a non-profit foundation to fund some serious work on it."

Seethaler proposed to transform the reception area of the building into a museum, but keep the bed and breakfast in business. He said keeping the bed and breakfast will bring in additional income for the historic building.

City Manager Vern Keeslar said, "Karl has obvious equity in this structure and a serious desire to see that building preserved so he wants to donate his equity to get the foundation started."

Keeslar said the city would not head up the foundation but would try to help Seethaler to start and to acquire money for it.

Seethaler said he did not know how to go about starting a non-profit organization and asked the commission for ideas.

Commission member Keith Watkins said Karl would need to get a volunteer attorney and accountant, then go out and knock on doors for funds. He said it will be hard to get money because "big money" from the valley has "dried up." He said any entity that becomes involved in the foundation has to have a good budget.

Keeslar said Seethaler would put an exterior easement on the building so the outside of the Old Rock Church would never be altered. Seethaler said the money from the foundation could not only update the inside of the building, but also the landscaping on the grounds of the building.

NW
MS