The property at 917 3rd Street (originally 923) was constructed in the 1890’s as a two-story home with a one-story porch, dressed in stick style and gable detail—around the same time that Second Presbyterian’s original Chapel was built in 1892.

The home was converted to a duplex in the early 1920’s adding a second-story porch, two front doors, and a stairwell wing on the left. The lower level was used as a doctor’s office by pediatrician Dr. Roger DuBose, and the second floor apartment was rented. Dr. DuBose practiced medicine there until his death in 1956. His widow, Lucy DuBose, then moved into the upstairs apartment and rented the apartment on the first floor. Dr. and Mrs. DuBose were long-time members of this church, and many other members were his patients.

In the 1990’s, the exterior of the home was remuddled. The duplex door was replaced with a window, stick styling was covered in vinyl, gable vents were added, and windows were wrapped in metal or covered. During this time, the house was renovated into a single-family dwelling.

Second Presbyterian Church purchased the property in 1999 and named it the Alpha Omega House (or AO House). The property was used primarily as a space for church youth (until the purchase of the current youth center named the Intersection at 305 Highland Avenue) and also served missions such as Interfaith Hospitality Network (now known as Family Promise). Church offices were temporarily located in the AO House during the 2012-2014 renovation of Second Presbyterian and addition of Kirk Hall.

After many years of transition and missional use, the building was in serious disrepair and in need of renovating to better serve families experiencing homelessness in our area, and to serve other local mission-centered organizations, as well. The renovation of the Alpha Omega House became one of the four-point goals of Second Presbyterian’s Mission Build Campaign of 2020, which raised over $1.7 million dollars for organizations that work to make the world more loving and compassionate, while building the Kingdom of God.

The renovation and renaming of Alexa House took place during 2022-2023. The chief goal was to transform the space into a mission center, primarily to house families in threat of homelessness and to provide a location for families to make remote visits to incarcerated loved ones.

It is important to remember that significant funding for the renovation of the house came of two tragedies: the Thanksgiving 2017 death of Dan Yardley due to an automobile accident, and the death of Alexa Cannon due to violence in 2019. The house was renamed Alexa House to honor her memory and express the wish that families in crisis find in the house a place of encouragement and hope.

As part of the renovation, safety, structural, and energy efficiency upgrades were made, including new electricity, plumbing, and HVAC systems. The home was restored to its duplex floor plan for flexible use, and remuddling was removed in order to uncover lost architectural details and restore the original character of the home.