The story of The Abbey on Monroe begins in 1883, when Phoenix First Baptist Church was founded. The congregation's first building began construction in 1903 and was replaced by the current structure in 1930. The congregation left the building for digs uptown in 1968, but in 1984, the structure, which by then had been added to the National Register of Historic Places, succumbed to a fire that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, including destroying the ceiling of the sanctuary. Enter former Phoenix mayor and Arizona attorney general Terry Goddard, who helped a nonprofit legal client, Housing Opportunity Center, purchase the building in 1993, right before it was due to be demolished. Over the next 30 years, some low-income housing was built on the property, but the gorgeous ruin of the church lay empty. But now, 40 years after the fire, the building has reopened and has a second chance at life, and has been renamed The Abbey on Monroe. It's a wedding and event venue, and Walter Productions co-owner Kirk Strawn and concert promoter Danny Zelisko are in talks to bring concerts and other forms of entertainment to the space. Future plans include a restaurant as well. It's a happy ending for one of the most beautiful buildings in Phoenix.