ALEXANDRIA, AL — It was 2021, and local realtor Erin Griffith was on the precipice of a new life when she walked across the threshold of the parsonage of her childhood church and took a leap of faith.

Today, the exterior of the 1938 bungalow is drenched in warm white and even in Alexandria, AL, a northeast Alabama town graced with old homes and Kelley green farmland, the restored parsonage stands out, capturing an aesthetic both of the moment and true to period. But when Erin found the house, it was easy to overlook.

Erin grew up in Alexandria, where she attended the local United Methodist Church, which once owned the modest parsonage within eyeshot of the sanctuary. When she moved home in 2021, Erin was an established professional embarking on a new chapter as a single mom. When she visited the house to list the property, she had a vision and did something most newly single parents can only dream of: Erin assembled a dream team of carpenters to revive the old home and start a new life.

“As soon as I walked in, I just knew what it could be,” Erin said, adding that she told the owners, “‘Y’all might think I’m crazy, but I think I want to buy your house.’”

The home retains a simple roofline, a shotgun-like structure and a porch that spans the length of the facade. The porch features four columns, anchored in brick, a haint blue ceiling and a cement floor, painted soft gray. And on a recent Wednesday, the American flag hung from a front column and flapped slightly in the winter wind.

Before the renovation, the parsonage was a one-story home, divided into small rooms. Erin expanded the floor plan to include two stories, three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a dining area, a kitchen, two living spaces, an office, a playroom and a butler’s pantry.

A banner year in real estate and the sale of two family properties funded her venture, Erin said. She purchased the property for $100,000 and invested more than twice that in the house.

Erin planned to raise her children there, but in 2025, another life transition, a new marriage, prompted her to sell.

Ahead of the sale, the property was listed for $400,000 and included 2,500 square feet.

Homebuilder Brenton Harden, local cabinetmaker Ronald McCully, and Northeast Alabama floor refinisher Justin Ball were instrumental in the evolution of the home. Final features were purchased from Anniston-based Mike Cova and light fixtures from a designer brand launched from Birmingham, Gabby Home.

Erin said directing the project was easy with Harden at the helm. She relayed her vision for the property, telling him that she wanted warm-white walls, tall baseboards and an open floor plan. Then she said she relied on his nearly 50 years of building experience to bring these elements together and create a look she loved.

“Honestly, his talent makes this home shine,” she said.

The pair worked without blueprints, considering each aspect of the layout, and then later the design, step by step. She recalled peering into the cavity of the open attic imagining and reimagining how the space could work for her family.

“All it was was just rafters and floor joists, and I would just stand there. And I would just look. And finally, I figured it out,” she said.

Transforming the attic into living space doubled the size of the home, but the entire home, not just the attic, was restructured. At Erin’s direction, bathrooms multiplied, hallways transitioned to closets, doors disappeared, thresholds stretched and a staircase materialized.

When Erin was finished, the front door opened to a living room, which Erin outfitted with two floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a large rolled-arm leather sofa and a piano. She hung an original painting on one wall and shadow-boxed baby clothes, one for each of Erin’s children, on opposing walls in the room.

All of the home's main living spaces can be viewed at a glance from the front living room. Design details, including hardwood flooring, custom cabinetry and plantation shutters, tie the rooms together. Large craftsman-style windows, the new staircase and a line of bold lighting choices lead the eye from the front living room through the kitchen to a large window on the back wall, a feature that anchors the whole space in light.

Erin said it also took discipline, flexible work hours and support from family to balance her two jobs — Erin was also a partner in a clothing boutique — with renovating the home and caring for her children.

Her schedule varied, but after dropping her children off on weekday mornings, Erin would visit the construction site, often in stilettos, to consult with contractors. Then, she said, she would tackle her daily work as a realtor, weaving the renovation into a busy schedule.

Erin said practical support was key to her success. Critical members of her support team, she said, were her parents.

Erin was living less than a mile away with them during the renovation, and having backup made progress possible.

“I had a lot of help,” Erin said.

Erin said she will always be happy she tackled the renovation. In so doing, she revived the old house, started a new life and even gave back to the town that gave her a place to call home.

“I would do it all over again,” Erin said. “Number one, I feel like I’ve left a mark on my community.”