From left: Will Arvello of the Black Heritage Trail of NH, Kathy Beebe, HAVEN Exec. Director, Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, Bishop of the NH Episcopal Church, Rev. Steve Falci, Christ Church Portsmouth priest, Adam Reudig, President of PHA Housing Development Ltd. BARBARA MACCLOUD photo
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A historic church property in Portsmouth is being transformed into a new community that will bring together affordable housing, services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, a new place of worship, and the preservation of an African burial ground dating back to the era of slavery.
At a news conference on November 12, the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire and its community partners unveiled the name Violet’s Way for the redevelopment of the former Christ Church property at 1035 Lafayette Road. The name honors Violet, an enslaved woman believed to be among 14 people buried on the property, and reflects the project’s commitment to healing, dignity, justice and community.
The ambitious redevelopment is a collaboration among the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, Christ Church Portsmouth, Portsmouth Housing Authority (PHA), HAVEN and the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. The Episcopal Church, which owns the 3.5-acre property, has made the land available through a free 98-year lease, allowing the organizations to pursue a shared vision for addressing some of the Seacoast’s most pressing needs.
Construction is well underway on 44 permanently affordable workforce apartments, with the first residents expected to move in as early as September 2027. HAVEN, which provides prevention and support services for people affected by domestic and sexual violence, plans to renovate the former Christ Church building and construct an addition to create its permanent headquarters, including seven transitional housing units. HAVEN Executive Director Kathy Beebe announced that a childcare facility will also be built on the HAVEN site. Plans also call for a new Christ Church worship and community space and the protection and stewardship of the African Burying Ground at Langdon Farm.
“This is such a marvelous moment. We’re seeing such progress,” said the Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, Bishop of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire. “We thought about this, we prayed about this. What is the name? What would speak to what is happening here?”
Hirschfeld explained the answer emerged from the history of the land itself, where an African Burying Ground contains the remains of at least 14 enslaved people, most likely including a woman named Violet who was sold to the Langdon family in 1773. The Christ Church property was once part of land owned by Langdon family.
Said Hirschfeld, “A name emerged in our hearts, and the name was Violet. We are now creating a community of love and justice and kindness. It’s not the church’s project; it’s God’s project, which is about healing and care and forming community.”
By naming the development Violet’s Way, the partners are acknowledging this history while creating a community dedicated to housing, safety, healing and opportunity.
Will Arvelo, representing the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, said the name carries particular significance for an organization dedicated to researching and preserving the history of Black people in New Hampshire. “It is a symbol of what Portsmouth can do for the community in preserving history, particularly Black history,” Arvelo said. He added that the name Violet’s Way is especially meaningful because it connects the history of the property with the needs of vulnerable people in the community today.
The burial ground will remain a protected and integral part of the redevelopment, ensuring that the lives and history of those buried there are acknowledged as the property enters a new chapter.
Workforce Housing
Portsmouth Housing Authority is developing 44 below-market-rate rental apartments designed to help address the city’s severe shortage of affordable housing for working individuals and families. “We are enormously proud that the Diocese selected us to lead this project, which demonstrates the power of collaboration among organizations united by a shared mission,” said Adam Ruedig, president of PHA Housing Development Ltd. “Together, we’re creating stability for families, permanently affordable housing, and opportunities for early childhood educators, whose work supports the entire workforce.”
“With the demand for housing and childcare far outstripping supply, this project addresses some of our community’s most pressing needs,” Ruedig continued. “It also brings together what Portsmouth Housing Authority has done best for more than 70 years: collaboration, historic preservation, and expanding access to housing and opportunity for all.”
It’s scheduled to open in the fall of 2027.
HAVEN to create permanent headquarters
Violet’s Way enables HAVEN to establish a permanent home in Portsmouth after years of searching for a suitable location. The nonprofit organization will renovate the former Christ Church building and construct an addition to bring together its education, survivor support programs, and a childcare facility in one location. The project will also include seven transitional housing units for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, doubling HAVEN’s current transitional housing capacity.
Said Kathy Beebe, HAVEN’s Executive Director, “This project will bring together all of our programs and services in a building designed with dignity in mind,” Beebe said. “So that we take domestic violence and sexual assault out of the shadows, we bring it front and center, and create a welcoming space so that anybody that needs our services can find us and get the help that they need and deserve.”
HAVEN has launched its Building Dignity capital campaign to support the redevelopment. The first phase, projected to cost $11 million, is expected to allow HAVEN to occupy its new facility by late fall 2027.
Beebe emphasized that the partnership’s focus on housing and potential childcare services is especially important for people rebuilding their lives after experiencing violence. “When you think about self-sufficiency for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, access to housing and access to childcare are two of the biggest barriers for people being able to be safe and on their own,” she said. “Community is what leads to connection, and it’s that connection that leads to healing.”
A new chapter for Christ Church Portsmouth
Christ Church Portsmouth has served the community since the 1880s. After its original church in Portsmouth’s West End was destroyed by fire in 1963, the congregation moved to the Lafayette Road property in 1965. The land was made available for the church through John Elwyn Stone, a descendant of the Langdon family.
Now, more than 60 years later, the congregation is preparing for another transformation. Christ Church plans to construct a smaller, flexible worship space elsewhere on the property.The new church is envisioned as a welcoming place for worship, prayer, community gatherings and outreach, with opportunities for collaboration among the organizations and new residents. Fundraising for the new building is continuing.
The Rev. Steve Falci of Christ Church Portsmouth said, “We take much solace in the fact that our beloved former church building will become the center of the essential work that HAVEN provides, and that some of this land will provide the much-needed workforce housing for the Portsmouth community.”
Falci described the project as an opportunity to rethink the role of the church in contemporary community life. “We are embarking on a bold new chapter in which we are reimagining what it means to be church in the 21st century, a vision that will continue to take shape in a spirit of mutuality and collaboration with our partners,” he said.
While awaiting construction of its new building, Christ Church is worshiping with the congregation of Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Newington.
#1 – group photo credit; Barbara MacLeod
Caption l-r – Will Arvello of the Black Heritage Trail of NH, Kathy Beebe, HAVEN Exec. Director, Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, Bishop of the NH Episcopal Church, Rev. Steve Falci, Christ Church Portsmouth priest, Adam Reudig, President of PHA Housing Development Ltd
#2 – drone shot credit Matt Falci
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