Courtesy Lake George Chamber of Commerce
By Ann Donnelly
Kirche is a gift shop located in the former North Creek United Methodist Church and recently upgraded with the addition of a new state-of-the-art carillon, a set of bells in the bell tower that chimes three times each day and will play hymns and Christmas carols during the holiday season.
“It was an impulse purchase,” said owner Jennifer Zimmerman, originally from the New York City area. “I walked into the building, and without even realizing it, the words came out of my mouth to my realtor, ‘You know I am going to bid on this, and I am going to try hard to buy it.’”
Initially, Zimmerman had no idea of what to do with the property. She aimed to contribute to the local community, and when she reached out for ideas, “economic activity” was the overwhelming answer.
“I have always had old houses, and I love antiques and vintage pieces, so there were suggestions to open a shop,” she said. But it would be too expensive to turn the former church into a viable property for any business.
Around this time, Zimmerman finished her career as a Wall Street lawyer. She traveled the world for a while before returning to North Creek to live year-round. She sold her house in Westchester and used the former church to store the antiques and other pieces she’d collected over the years.
“Then I needed insurance, a fire alarm, electricity, and a phone line for the fire alarm, etc., so the incremental cost to use the building as a shop was feasible. I had the place. I had the stuff. I had the background knowledge.”
Opened in May 2022, Kirche offers a carefully curated collection of antiques, art, crafts, homewares, and other interesting objects for sale arranged in a visually appealing way suited to the building. “The first year was my proof of concept. People loved coming in here. The most common thing I hear when people walk in is, ‘Wow.’ The church is beautiful, and I consider it a compliment that people appreciate what I have done with it.”
Zimmerman, who chose the name “Kirche” (pronounced “keer-cha”) as it is German for church, enjoys hearing people’s memories about it—weddings, first communions, etc.—and has been careful to maintain and highlight many of the original features of the building, including the 10 stained glass windows and a pew located along the front of the building.
The original deed from 1879 is framed above the sales counter at the front of the shop.
She rotates the stock weekly.
“I love having things go out the door so that I can put new things in the store,” she said. “I have enough to fill this place four times over. I like shopping for stuff.”
She offers to keep an eye out during her shopping expeditions if she doesn’t have what a person is looking for. With her flair for design and years as a collector, she also offers suggestions to people for items for a specific space or how to use best an item purchased.
The shop gets a mix of clientele from “nostalgia shoppers” that see an item that they knew from their childhood to “impulse buyers” that fall in love with something they discover and a few dealers.
While most shoppers are from outside the area and those with second homes in the area, the shop has gotten positive feedback from the people of North Creek, she said. One of the goals of Zimmerman’s business plan is to do some good for the community.
“On the day of the recent ribbon cutting, I gave 20 percent of the register to two local organizations, and at the end of the year, a portion of the proceeds go to various local and regional non-profit organizations,” she said.
The shop is only open seasonally due to the cost and sustainability of maintaining the building in the colder months.
Kirche is located at 243 Main St., North Creek, and is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., and other times by appointment.