Plenty of Chicago churches have been converted to dwelling places. Most of these, such as Trinity Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lake View and Bethany Presbyterian Church in Logan Square, look like churches, graced with steeples and stained glass. Not the former Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, at 4840 South Dorchester Avenue. Designed by Solon S. Beman, a house architect for the faith, the Classical Revival–style building could be mistaken for a post office, library, or museum.

Last used as a house of worship in the early 2000s, by Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, and later owned by chef and restaurateur Art Smith, who had hoped to transform it into a cooking school and community center, the 119-year-old Kenwood structure is now a collection of 13 upscale residences. One of them, a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath townhouse, was recently put on the market for $825,000.

Tucked behind Beman’s impressive colonnaded façade and massive pedimented entryways, this home is an expansive, loft-like space blessed with plenty of windows. Hardwood flooring throughout brings a cohesiveness to the unit, spread across three levels. The open-plan main floor features a streamlined kitchen with custom cabinetry, Bosch appliances, and a fluid living and dining area. On the top floor is a primary suite, which includes two walk-in closets and a bathroom (with roomy shower and soaking tub) clad in dark-veined white marble.

For Beman, who also designed the Pullman community — the nation’s first planned company town — as well as Kenwood’s Blackstone Library and the Fine Arts Building, the “sincerity and refinement” of the Classical Revival style was an apt expression of faith. It’s not a bad look to come home to, either.