The Historic Derby Street Chapel Community Cultural Center
Florida Trust for Historic Preservation
Adaptive Reuse Nomination

The Historic Derby Street Chapel Community Cultural Center deserves recognition with a Florida Trust Award because of the volunteers’ persistence and vision to save from destruction this Craftsman style Chapel, which may be a one-of-a-kind example in Florida, and return the structure into use as a community cultural center for all.

The Derby Street Chapel, 121 Derby Street Cocoa, Florida, built by the Seventh Day Adventist Church in 1924, changed owners in 1955 and again in 1964 to the First Baptist Church which used the building for children’s activities. After the church built new facilities, the chapel was used as a storage facility and became neglected.  In mid-1990s, when the current Owner started to demolish the chapel, the community rallied to stop the destruction of a historic building, and a committee formed to save the chapel, a Craftsmen style architecture building. Cocoa Main Street proposed to restore the building as its long-term historic preservation project, and in 2003 signed a long-term lease with the Owner, First Baptist Church, to restore the chapel as a community cultural center.

The Historic Derby Street Chapel Committee of Cocoa Main Street began the project with less than $5,000 in donations. The first few years were consumed with hauling away the stored items, repairing gaping holes in the floor, removing a toilet and plumbing that had been installed behind the pulpit area, and general cleaning.

Funds were raised and donations received from the community for memorials and special events. The Committee held rummage sales netting up to $5,000 per year for a few years.  After five years a Special Categories Grant for $75,000 was awarded through the State Bureau of Historic Preservation for the Chapel restoration and restrooms which were required by the City of Cocoa. 

The Committee grew as people from the community volunteered to work on the project. The damaged, painted heart pine floor was repaired, refinished and varnished.  The circa 1935 Merritt Island pine pews, donated by the Wylie-Baxley funeral home, were lovingly refinished, restored and painted by volunteers. The altar railing was restored.  Layers of paint were removed to unleash the beautiful wood graining of the front doors which now welcome visitors into the chapel.  Windows were restored and re-glazed, and window cranks refurbished by volunteers.  A new electrical service was brought to the chapel, the minimal wiring to the lights was upgraded and ceiling fans installed.  Volunteers applied a new fresh coat of white paint to the interior and exterior as reflected in the original building.  A new stamped metal shingle roof that closely matches the original was installed.  Some original shingles were retained, and local artisans painted images of the chapel on them for keepsakes and fundraisers. The Dirt Daubers Circle of Cocoa-Rockledge Garden Club designed and paid for landscaping in keeping with the period.  A 90-year-old retired engineer, new to the area, made two stained glass windows as his contribution, just before his death.

The $75,000 grant required a match of donation and volunteer hours based on $5.15 per hr.  The final grant report showed $214,000 worth of volunteer hours worked on the project.

The original plans with attached restrooms, which the grant dollar amount was based upon, was denied by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).  Modifications and revisions were made for a standalone restroom building that included new 2004 building codes of the City of Cocoa.  Additionally, the SHPO and the City required an ADA ramp and new rear door allowing 36” clear space for accessible access to the community cultural center.  Due to the new building code changes, and the fact that the City of Cocoa does not have a historic preservation ordinance, the vision almost vanished because the standalone building did not comply with zoning setbacks.  The additional special exemptions and appearances to City Council meetings and Board of Adjustment meetings did not become deterrents to the vision and the slogan save the chapel.  Even though there was municipal and community support for the project, appropriate actions needed to be addressed.

The Architect: Jack Rood, of Architects in Association Rood & Zwick, Inc., provided pro bono services for the revised building drawings which were first submitted for SHPO approval and subsequent local approval.  Proceeds of the Special Categories Grant were expended on the restoration of the chapel, the new stamped metal roof, rear door and ADA ramp.  The estimate on the revised restroom building drawings was $130,000.  The Durable Restoration Company, working in conjunction with the Derby Street Chapel Committee and Jack Rood, value engineered all the requirements of the Owner while adhering to the Secretary of Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic properties in preparing an affordable cost of construction of $94,000.  The cost was presented to the Chapel Committee and an individual committee member stepped up and provided a private loan to the Chapel Committee for construction of the new administration building.  The long-term loan was paid with proceeds from scheduled activities in the Chapel, rummage sales and an off-site thrift store operated by Chapel volunteers.  Painting the interior and exterior of the new annex building, and other minor tasks, was accomplished by the chapel volunteers making them a part of the new project as well.

With completion of this restoration project, Cocoa Main Street had held true to its purpose of historic preservation, economic development, and promotion of the City of Cocoa.  Economic impact data has been provided to the University of Florida Center for Government Responsibility.  For interior restoration of the Chapel 15+/- suppliers were used or donated services, and 32 +/- people volunteered (including 8 Kiwanis members and 10+ Chapel volunteers).   For the roof, ADA door, ADA ramp and administrative building (restrooms and multi-purpose room) a total of 28 +/- suppliers were used and approximately 105+/- workers were involved and benefited from the project.

On 19 September 2009, the Historic Derby Street Chapel hosted its grand opening and dedication service which featured music, dance, art show, antique car show and K9 demonstration.  Speakers and officials came from the state, county, and city for the celebration. The Chapel hosts a community interdenominational service at Thanksgiving and Christmas, has serviced about a dozen memorial services, several dozen weddings and vow renewals, plus small gatherings and meetings.  It is available for rent to the public for weddings, seminars, concerts, art shows, movie evenings, presentations and special events.

From one small vision and persistence, the Historic Derby Street Chapel Community Cultural Center is now an economic engine for the City of Cocoa and Cocoa Main Street.  This is why I am nominating the Derby Street Chapel Community Cultural Center for the Statewide Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse.