800 Sidnor Street Renovation

800 Sidnor Street Renovation Follow along as we restore and update the former Karpeles Museum, also known as the old Methodist church, located in Alvin, TX.

This building is being converted back into a church, and will be completed at some point in 2026 or 2027, D.V.

The framers have been busy for the last few weeks. Classrooms, the nursery, an elevator shaft, and bathrooms have all ta...
05/14/2026

The framers have been busy for the last few weeks. Classrooms, the nursery, an elevator shaft, and bathrooms have all taken shape. Today, the plumbers got started laying drains to the new bathrooms. The main bathrooms will be located in the basement and will be much more accommodating than the tiny facilities in our current building. There will also be a small accessible bathroom located on the main level.

The brownish glass in the stained glass windows may look drab from the outside, but from the inside, it glows gold in th...
04/09/2026

The brownish glass in the stained glass windows may look drab from the outside, but from the inside, it glows gold in the light of the setting sun.

As we restore the Sidnor Street building, we are bringing it up to modern fire safety codes. One example of this is the ...
04/08/2026

As we restore the Sidnor Street building, we are bringing it up to modern fire safety codes. One example of this is the basement ceiling. We have doubled up the ceiling joists to support the weight of a new ceiling that will serve as a fire barrier between the basement and the main level. More details in photo captions!

04/07/2026

This clip is from a couple of weeks ago. The original hardwood floors on the main level had a few damaged areas from old water leaks, but were otherwise in good condition. The flooring guys salvaged wood from the balconies to repair the damaged areas on the main level. Sanding and refinishing will take place much later in the project.

The view from the balconies is great, but sadly redoing them is not in the budget at this phase, so the balconies will remain closed to the public for the time being. Perhaps at some point in the future, the balconies can be completed and re-opened.

It's concrete day! Here, our general contractor, Evan Watkins (on the right), oversees the pouring of a concrete footer ...
04/01/2026

It's concrete day! Here, our general contractor, Evan Watkins (on the right), oversees the pouring of a concrete footer to support the weight of a new elevator that will be installed later. Outside, sidewalks are going in to the new ground level entrance on Sidnor Street, and to a new fire exit on the north side of the building.

This week, the brick masons have moved on to the smaller details. One example is the northwest corner, where the bricks ...
03/31/2026

This week, the brick masons have moved on to the smaller details. One example is the northwest corner, where the bricks had been smeared with mortar during previous patch jobs. The masons have repaired some cracks and cleaned up the bricks. Looking much better! Also note the window that has been opened up below. Meanwhile, the framers are busy inside. More details to come.

The brick masons are hard at work this week opening up windows and doors that were bricked over decades ago. More detail...
03/25/2026

The brick masons are hard at work this week opening up windows and doors that were bricked over decades ago. More details in photo captions!

👀This opening in the ground floor facing Sidnor Street was originally a window. It was bricked over at some point in the...
03/23/2026

👀

This opening in the ground floor facing Sidnor Street was originally a window. It was bricked over at some point in the 1960s. We are reopening it and and creating a new ground level entrance. There will be an elevator to the left to take people to the main level. We are looking forward to seeing natural light on this level!

After months of back and forth between the architect, the engineer, and the city, we finally have our building permit! T...
03/22/2026

After months of back and forth between the architect, the engineer, and the city, we finally have our building permit! The ramp on the west side is gone, the Porta-Potty is in place, and work begins on Monday. Stay tuned!

Paint removal on the church is nearly complete. The Twin Painters And Home Improvement LLC are still working diligently ...
10/31/2025

Paint removal on the church is nearly complete. The Twin Painters And Home Improvement LLC are still working diligently to finish up the north side of the building. The southeast entrance now looks much as it did originally, though there are still some details to be restored.

A rare sight--our Sidnor Street building in the snow.
01/22/2025

A rare sight--our Sidnor Street building in the snow.

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800 Sidnor Street
Alvin, TX
77511

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