Open Arms takes over former Goshen Hall

The former Goshen Hall on Federal Street in downtown Milton is now the home of the Open Arms Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Open Arms, formerly known as Sussex Central Seventh-Day Adventists, purchased the building in September, according to county tax records, paying $510,000. The building sits on a 1.02-acre lot across from Milton Town Hall and dates back to 1941; it has been renovated several times over the years.

Attempts to reach Open Arms church by phone and by email were unsuccessful.

Goshen United Methodist Church listed the building for sale in the summer of 2021; proceeds from the sale have been earmarked to help pay for renovations to its existing church at the corner of Mulberry and Federal streets.

The land is zoned in the Town Center Use District, which governs Milton’s central business area. The zoning allows for a wide range of uses, including commercial – such as restaurants, retail or offices – or as open park space, government buildings or some light residential, including single-family detached dwellings or an apartment above a commercial business. There are also special permitted uses such as a bar, convenience store, church, hotel or public utility. The 2,312-square-foot building includes a metal roof, large indoor hall, kitchen, vinyl siding and central air. 

Besides its use as a fellowship hall, the building was used by the town to host its elections during the pandemic because it was large enough to accommodate social-distancing guidelines. Milton Community Food Pantry also used the building for food distributions until moving operations to Water’s Edge church on Route 16.