A vacant church in downtown Oxford will become a coffee shop, wine bar and pottery studio
It was a plan hatched over a couple bottles of wine that still made sense in the morning — transforming a vacant church in downtown Oxford into a coffee shop and pottery studio.
That’s the vision of Oxford friends and neighbors Anna Housman and Ray Williams, who imagine glowing stained glass windows and towering ceilings might be a nice spot to sip a latte.
The pair will open Sanctum, in part a coffee shop and wine bar, with pottery classes and an art gallery. The project looks to open in 2024
Williams is the former chef of three restaurants in the Durham Food Hall: Everything Bagels, Corner Yaki and Napoli Pizza. Housman, who owns Daisy Chain Ceramics, has been making distinctive pottery for more than a decade.
“I wanted something that spoke to this idea of peace,” Housman said. “It felt right. Sanctum makes job number four for me and I have two small children. I’m looking for a place of peace. That’s what I want for my community.”
Growing momentum in Oxford
The secret appears to be out on downtown Oxford, as momentum built by the popular Strong Arm Baking and Tobacco Wood Brewing have set a spotlight on this charming Granville County town of around 9,000 people a half hour north of Durham. The town is set to double its number of houses over the next decade and was last year dubbed North Carolina’s next possible boom town by Business NC.
Housman and Williams, who each live in downtown Oxford, see Sanctum as a spot offering the next piece of the puzzle.
“It’s something the town has been needing,” Williams said.
Built in the Spanish mission style, the former Catholic church was once in foreclosure and is currently owned by attorney Stuart Paynter, who recently brought the Orpheum Theater in Oxford back to life as an events space.
The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places this year, Paynter said and is one of three local examples of the same design.
Initially Paynter said he planned to offer the space for events, but found the plans for Sanctum compelling.
“I think they’ll be good stewards of the space,” Paynter said. “I like the business concept.”
Housman and Williams plan to buy the church and property and begin renovations, turning a sanctuary into a cafe space and kitchen. The remodel will include moving walls, building a bar and updating bathrooms.
“Building a kitchen in the church is a unique challenge,” Williams said. “But it’s weird how well suited the church is for a coffee shop.”
On the pottery side, Sanctum will have a studio and two kilns and Housman plans to offer regular classes. In recruiting artists to display their work, Housman said Sanctum will prioritize working with women and artists of color.
To help pay for the renovations, Sanctum has launched a crowdfunding campaign with incentives like coffee for a year, pottery lessons and mugs. So far nearly $8,000 of the $50,000 goal has been raised, with the deadline set as the end of November.
This story was originally published November 13, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
