The Church of the Assumption in Maybrook closed its doors in January 2023 after serving families for more than a century. Since then, a former parishioner and his son have purchased the church property and begun planning several projects, including a preschool, a commercial building and several single-family homes.

Built in 1913 by the village’s Italian families, the church provided religious and community services to residents until its final Mass on Jan. 8, 2023. It closed for several reasons, including declining attendance, a shortage of available priests and rising financial burdens. The Assumption Parish had merged with Montgomery’s Holy Name of Mary Parish in 2015, and the combined parish continued serving residents in the Village of Montgomery. The church property entered the real estate market Sept. 10, 2025, with a list price of $850,000.

Frank Nutt Jr., a local builder and former parishioner of the church, and his son, Frank Nutt III, saw the listing and became interested in purchasing the property, with plans to preserve the church building while developing several projects on the site.

“My dad and I grew up going to Church of the Assumption, and when we found out it was for sale, we knew there was significant land there,” Frank Nutt III said Aug. 13. “There’s land that we could turn into a commercial building, rectories that we could turn into a school, and residential lots that we could turn into single-family affordable homes.”

On March 2, Frank Nutt Jr. presented conceptual plans for the property to the Maybrook Board of Trustees. He and his son proposed subdividing the parcel into three lots, each with a different project. For the lot containing the church building, he proposed retaining and converting it into a preschool. For the lot along state Route 208 and Homestead Avenue, he proposed an 8,000-square-foot mixed-use building with commercial space on the ground floor and a dozen apartments on the second floor. For the third lot, he proposed 15 single-family homes designed as starter homes. Nutt Jr. noted that the property’s current zoning does not permit single-family homes, and the board would need to amend the zoning code to allow them.

“We feel that the growth and development in Maybrook has been really strong. We have schools in Montgomery and Walden, and with all this new growth and development coming to Maybrook, there’s going to be a significant need for universal pre-k, including infant and toddler child care,” Frank Nutt III said Aug. 13. “We’re looking forward to having another facility in Maybrook so families have something close to home.”

Following the presentation, the Nutts purchased the church property and began refining their plans. Of the three projects, the preschool is their top priority. Once building plans for the school are finalized, they intend to apply for a building permit and submit the project to the planning board. After the preschool wins approval, the Nutts plan to move forward with the commercial building and single-family homes.

“Right now, we’re working on the building plans for the school. Once we get that approved, then we’ll work on the other plans, and then we’ll go in front of the planning board for the rest of the projects,” Frank Nutt III said Aug. 13. “Nothing has been approved yet officially, but we’re confident that the village will see them as a positive, and they should get approved as well.”