The Kyle House was purchased by St. John’s from the city of Fayetteville in 1991. The building, which is adjacent to the church property, had housed the mayor’s office and city administration offices. The brick residence was built by prominent merchant James Kyle in the mid-1830’s, following the great Fayetteville fire, which destroyed much of downtown Fayetteville in 1831. Mr. Kyle, an instrumental parishioner in St. John’s early history, built his home beside the church to replace his previous residence on Market Square.
Built in Greek revival style, the Kyle House is one of the oldest surviving residences in Fayetteville. While St. John's now owned it, the Kyle House didn't fully become incorporated into the parish campus until renovations in 2002, which included a new corridor connecting the parish hall to the rear of the Kyle House, along with renovations of the Kyle House kitchen into a modern serving kitchen.
Since then, we use the house for many of our church functions, including Christian Formation classes, church receptions, and meetings. It features four main rooms downstairs, including a spacious dining room, with additional rooms upstairs. The upstairs rooms are used as classrooms; however, one of them has been renovated into a bridal dressing room. Modern restroom facilities have been added to both floors.
The house is distinguished by its columned front porch, tall front windows and wrought-iron balustrade above the porch. Inside, it features 16-foot ceilings downstairs and 12-foot ceilings upstairs. The thick plaster walls were originally filled with sand for insulation and fire safety. One of the most standout architectural features is the six-pointed mother of pearl star inlaid into the base of the banister. Known as a “builder’s button,” this star indicated that the home was paid for when it was completed.
The house served as a residence for numerous generations of the Kyle family until 1961, when it was sold to the city. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.