Anna Newhoff
NCR Reporter
Callahan First Baptist Church breathes new life into a piece of local history with the recent purchase of the Brandies Avenue commercial buildings. The two-story buildings are the oldest brick buildings in Callahan.
Spanning nearly 2 acres, the old buildings will serve as a hub for church offices, a community-based ministry center, and educational space.
The buildings were constructed in 1900 and Brandies Ace Hardware operated on site for 78 years, until its closure in 2023. The church completed the purchase of the property in June.
Church leaders say the project will not only meet growing space needs, but preserve an important piece of the town’s heritage.
“I didn’t want to see (the buildings) become another commercial space,” Callahan First Baptist Senior Pastor Lynn Hyatt said. “I wanted to preserve the history because it has been such a major part of Callahan for so many years.”
The vision for the project began when Hyatt learned that the Brandies family planned to close the longtime hardware store. Following months of prayer and planning, the church leadership and the congregation voted to move forward with the purchase in August. A special Giving Day in November launched fundraising efforts for church members to donate to the vision. The church was able to put down half of the purchase price and finance the remaining balance.
According to the Nassau County Property Appraiser website, the church purchased two separate parcels for around $1.2 million from APK 3 LLC, which includes Ann Brandies Hagan, Patricia Brandies Fachko, and Kay Brandies Stokes.
The property, which includes a small parking lot, multiple attached buildings, and the lumberyard, stretches behind the Brandies family brick house and the Shepard-Roberson Funeral Home.
Renovations are already underway. The church recently completed asbestos abatement and works with architects to finalize construction drawings. Updates will be made to bring the buildings up to Florida Building Code standards, including hurricane protections and fire safety systems.
The main building, once the front of the hardware store, will be transformed into a large meeting space for church and community meetings and events. The rear portion, which Hyatt refers to as the “paint department,” will become a commercial kitchen and dining area. The downstairs “seed room,” former Brandies administrative offices, and possibly a portion of the upstairs will be converted into office space.
These changes will allow the church to relocate nearly all staff operations, freeing up 2,500 to 3,000 square feet in the existing education building to expand the children’s ministry.
“It will help alleviate some immediate space needs, but it will also provide opportunity down the road,” Hyatt said.
Next door, a structure once used for storage will become the new home of the church’s foster and adoption ministry. Upstairs, two existing rental apartments will remain unchanged. The church will continue to honor and retain all current tenants, including the Nassau County Record and apartment tenants above the newspaper.
If operations move smoothly, leadership hopes to move into the new office space by mid-to-late 2026.
“I think it’s gonna help us be more responsive to the needs of the church now and in the future,” Hyatt said. “Also, more responsive to the needs of the community.”
reporter@nassau
countyrecord.com