Trinity United Methodist Church Repurposed Northwest Square
One of the most beautiful church buildings in DeLand, at 238 N. Clara Ave., was built in 1926 for Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, a congregation dating back to 1895. The original Gothic Revival structure sits in Rich’s Addition, platted by pioneer Capt. John Rich in 1883, and is part of DeLand’s Northwest National Historic District. Built on 1.3 acres, it cost $125,000 at the end of the Florida real estate boom, just before the 1927 land bust and the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929. The congregation held on and continued to worship and prosper.
Trinity United Methodist Church. c 1970s. Dreggors Collection WVHS photo archives.
Miller-Fish Building - Miller Hardware Company. 1912. Dreggors Collection WVHS photo archives.
The church once shared the block with DeLand High School and later DeLand Middle School (now home to the Volusia County School Board offices), and the corner of West Wisconsin Avenue with St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. Eventually it became Trinity United Methodist Church and grew to over 1,000 members. In 1959, Trinity built a large addition, offering offices, classrooms, and a chapel, with George Odell Rugger of DeLand as contractor.
In recent years, faced with a declining congregation and a 90-year-old building needing constant upkeep, Trinity decided to sell the imposing structure, move to a temporary location, and build a smaller, modern church facility. In 2019 Christopher and Jessica Levings bought the aging church for $1 million. Bolstered by a background in real estate development and an added investment of several million dollars, the couple got right to work and finished the project in 18 months. The Levings put in 15-hour days themselves, while raising a family and tending to other career obligations.
The City of DeLand was on board with the project and a team of dedicated and competent contractors worked with the Levings’ to accomplish the beautiful renovation. Chris Levings had attended Trinity as a child and the pair wanted to honor the church’s tradition of community gathering. Guided by the ideals of conservation and reduced impact, they updated the exterior but did not change it. They named the newly repurposed structure Northwest Square, after reconfiguring its interior to offer a complex of apartments, restaurants, shops, and event spaces.
Considered one of the finest examples of architectural repurposing in Central Florida, Northwest Square has won several awards and been the subject of many media presentations. It offers three event spaces, an outdoor courtyard for events, a beer garden space, and ample parking. In addition, the building holds a wine bar, two restaurants, a coffee shop/food store and a boutique, along with 13 apartments. Its beautiful stained-glass windows still adorn the outside and shine through on the inside. Brick walls were exposed on the interior, and all the original doors were retained. Much of the wood from the pews and the sanctuary was repurposed and used throughout the building.
Northwest Square. 2025. Website photo
For almost a century, the church was a place of spiritual inspiration and a house of praise and worship. Today, Northwest Square remains a sanctuary of sorts for living, socializing, entertaining, and enjoying special life events — serving as a neighborhood gathering place once again.
Trinity United Methodist Church. c 1990s. Dreggors Collection WVHS photo archives.
