History
The Heartwood Center is the former St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Dedicated in 1908, only 4 years after the young town of Sandpoint moved to the west bank of Sand Creek, the original building (Main Hall) was designed with Gothic Revival elements including Gothic-arched windows and doors, buttresses, and a bull’s eye window in the gable end. By 2011 when the century-old parish relocated to a new property, the original church had seen several additional alterations. Under the new ownership of Susie and Mark Kubiak the church was renovated in 2013 & 2014 for use as a special event center. Many of the alterations that had been made to the historic facade were reversed, while on the interior the later choir loft was removed, and the simplicity of the original space was returned. Later additions such as the social hall and offices were updated for improved use while the features of the historic chapel were enhanced. The restoration was recognized by Preservation Idaho with a 2015 Orchid for Contribution to Historic Preservation.
Surrounded by tree-lined streets, this heritage pillar of the community now includes environmentally sound features including high-efficiency heating and stormwater management. The building is located on the corner of Oak Street and Sixth Street in beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho, located walking distance of downtown and Lake Pend Oreille.
