Judy Dotzel, of Mountain Top, always had a passion for religious art, so when she went looking for a new art studio for her business, Trinity Artisans, she found a spot that seemed almost too good to be true.
St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in the Solomon’s Gap area of Mountain Top had closed in the late 1990s and was for sale.
A vital part of Mountain Top’s history, St. Catherine’s was built in 1885 and was originally run by the monks of St. Joseph’s Monastery who used to walk up the mountain from the Georgetown section of Wilkes-Barre to deliver mass on Sundays.
Its closure was part of a wave of NEPA church closures that swept the region about 20 years ago.
“I always wanted to buy a church,” said Dotzel, who saw the possibility of fulfilling two dreams at once. In 2003, she jumped at the opportunity but knew that restoration would take time and effort. After a year of restoration work, her art studio was up and running, but her plans for the building didn’t stop there.
Over an eight year period, Dotzel, along with friends, family and hired help removed the wallpaper and restored the stenciling underneath, repaired the cracks in the plaster, removed the carpet to reveal the original hardwood floors, converted the choir loft to a bedroom on one side, and then created another loft for a second bedroom on the other side. They had to install a bathroom and redo all of the electrical as well. The church still contains the original stained glass windows from Germany, and the bell tower still rings on special occasions.
Judy Dotzel and her fiance Chris Norton now live and work in the restored church.
Dotzel couldn’t be happier as her fine art and restoration business helps restore and preserve religious statues, murals and more up and down the east coast.
As for her future plans for this historic structure, she said, “I’m thinking about renting it as an Airbnb or Vrbo for artists looking for inspiration to stay in for a few days.”
With a built-in art studio in the rear and religious art adorning the entirety of the interior, it is definitely an ideal destination.
“It’s more than a church. It’s divine craftsmanship,” said Norton. “They just don’t make them like this anymore.”
