Delta House property returned to church
Jeremy M. Lazarus | 12/16/2016, 8:18 p.m.
The dreams have evaporated for turning a former Church Hill church sanctuary into the home of the Richmond Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
The chapter’s foundation has returned the former sanctuary at 1200 N. 28th St. to its original owner, Good Shepherd Baptist Church, now located one block south at 1127 N. 28th St.
The church donated the building to the sorority chapter 16 years ago to serve as the chapter’s headquarters and as a center for various community and social services programs the chapter hoped to provide at the building.
The chapter also created the Delta House Foundation Inc. to hold the property and to serve as the arm to raise needed funds. As the years passed, the chapter and its foundation were unable to raise the funds needed to transform the building.
Earlier this year, in an instrument filed with Richmond Circuit Court, the Delta House Foundation acknowledged that it “was unable to fulfill the conditions contained in the deed (of Aug. 17, 2000) and therefore the property reverted to Good Shepherd pursuant to the version terms in the deed.”
Thelma Y. Pettis, chairwoman of the foundation, signed the instrument of reversion “acknowledging that all of its right, title and interest in and to the property reverted to Good Shepherd.”
Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, pastor of Good Shepherd Baptist Church, said that discussions are still underway on the future of the building.
