Survey Seeks Input On Donated Chatham Church

CHATHAM, NJ — Chatham borough is asking the community for input about how to use the former Stanley Congregational Church, which was donated to the borough after it closed in 2020.

The church is located on the corner of Fairmount Avenue and Oliver Street.

The 11-question survey is online here. Paper copies are in the borough hall’s foyer at 54 Fairmount Ave.

See more about the former church’s building on 94 Fairmount Ave. in the video below, with a virtual tour by Council Members Jocelyn Mathiasen and Carolyn Dempsey.

Mathiasen and Dempsey co-chair an advisory committee and released a joint statement about the quest to gather feedback about the building's potential uses.

Residents can also volunteer with the committee to help brainstorm ideas, they said.

Dempsey said there has been a great interest in the building from the community already, which “points to a huge need in the community for a gathering place for events, among other things,” she said.

“We want to collect as many ideas and as much feedback as possible,” Mathiasen said. “The survey is one way to do this.”

The target date to begin using the building will depend on renovations, Mathiasen added. It was planned to be available for use by the late summer or early fall.

Mathiasen and Dempsey brought up a range of potential uses for the building, which includes a stage, commercial kitchen and other rooms, as well as 100 place settings of fine English china and the church’s former library.

Possible uses include a teen center, a performance venue, an event location, a meeting center or a space for dance, music or yoga classes, among other uses.

Organizations that would like to use the building were asked to reach out to the borough’s director of community services, Janice Piccolo, according to the borough’s website. They may also contact Piccolo at jpiccolo@chathamborough.org.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.