The Olde Church in Cumberland Gap held its grand opening over the weekend.

After a year of restoring the what was built in 1890, Bill and Tammy Linn are opening the doors. The church will now serve as an event center. Weddings and community events are already being booked.

Mr. Linn previously stated that the church would have been beyond repair if left untouched for the next three to five years. “It was prayers that kept it going up until we got here, but it was really the kindness of this community that kept us moving forward and the love that we got from everyone.” The Linn’s put in hard work to make thing building last the next 100 years or longer. During the process, the Linn’s kept 90 percent of their budget in the local community.

They plan to keep all the money made from the venue in the gap. Restaurants, bakeries, and photographers will be on the list when booking for events. A time capsule was placed inside a wall panel, they plan to open it up in 2090. More than 400 people walked through the doors of this beautifully restored church. Pastor Judy Keller, pastor at the Methodist Church in Harrogate, offered a blessing on the church. Her congregation originated in the Olde Church when the church was decommissioned in 1966. Pastor Keller said, “I think it’s a miracle that [they] came here and what [they’ve] done to this place is also a miracle.”