This St. Louis inn is housed in a former church.
Presented in partnership with Stay Inn the Heartland.
Near the entrance to Gothic Heights Inn in St. Louis, a stained glass piece in blue, green, and black shows Jesus and His angels sitting among vines. The inn is housed in a former Methodist church. The Dr. Fry Memorial Methodist Church was originally built in 1892, but a fire destroyed it, and it was rebuilt at the same location in 1906. The inn features modern amenities while retaining historic character, from its architecture to its antiques.
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The Dr. Fry Memorial Methodist Church closed in 2004 after its congregation fell to only 19 people. In 2018, after many years of renovation by the inn’s previous owners, it became Clifton Heights Inn, which closed during the pandemic. In 2024, the inn’s current co-owner, Jesse Wise, a lover of local architecture, heard there would be an open house at the former church and decided to go with her husband, co-owner Ken Gilb, to see the Gothic-style archways and towering ceilings. “About halfway through the tour,” Ken explains, “I leaned over to her, and I said, ‘We can do this,’ and she goes, ‘We can do what?’ I said, ‘We could live here.’ ” From there, the couple bought the inn, packed up their home, and moved into the church basement with their twin boys.
Co-owners Jesse Wise and Ken Gilb stand behind their children, from left, Gavin and Owen Wise and Lily and Quin Gilb.
The inn has four guest suites and has retained the church’s altar, communion rails, offering boxes, staircase, and bell tower, which is now home to a rooftop hot tub with a 360-degree view of St. Louis. “When I show guests their room, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is like living in a fantasy castle.’ Because there are arched windows that are all stained glass and it kind of evokes that emotion,” Ken says. Gothic Heights Inn features art nouveau and art deco styles with Tiffany-style lighting, ornate upholstery, and curated artwork. Each suite has hardwood floors and hand-carved woodwork and is named after iconic St. Louis themes, including the Hill Suite and Botanical Garden Grand Suite. The guest bathrooms have heated floors and soaking tubs.
“Sometimes my wife and I will sit in the former sanctuary with the stained glass windows with all the color pouring in and pinch ourselves and say, ‘I cannot believe we live here.’ It’s just such a unique space,” Ken says.
All photos courtesy of Gothic Heights Inn.
Gothic Heights Inn is a member of Stay Inn the Heartland, which has curated a collection of exceptional lodging experiences across the Heartland of America. Members are inspected and earn the Heartland Certified STAY stamp of approval. Guests earn rewards through an INNer Circle loyalty program after five STAYS. StayInnTheHeartland.com
This article was orginally printed in the November/December 2026 issue of Missouri Life.
