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May 2004
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Rebuilding a downtown treasure
Kim Henderson
News Bulletin Reporter |
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May 14, 2004
- Nestled in the heart of downtown Laurel Hill are three buildings that
are so dear to so many. For years, the structures that once thrived
stood in disrepair and in danger of being torn down.
Now, however, they’re beginning to take on a whole new life. Laurel Hill
resident George Wittmer bought the buildings from Reverend Catherine
Parks and her Pentecostal church.
Our ambition is to improve the quality of life in Laurel Hill, to
attract commerce to our community, and as important as anything else, to
preserve part of the heritage of Laurel Hill, Wittmer said of the
downtown project.
With that vision, Wittmer and several crews of men began working this
January to renovate the brick buildings and once again put them in use.
I used to sit out in front of this building all the time, remembers
Douglas James, one of the men currently working on restoring the
structures. I would buy fifteen cents worth of bologna and crackers and
take them outside to eat, he added of the middle building which at one
point in history was a dry goods and grocery store. If this building
could talk, it could tell you so many things.
That center building James spoke of, graced with ceilings standing at
around eighteen feet high, will be transformed into a gift gallery,
complete with twelve individual shops. This was formerly Cadenhead
Grocery, Wittmer explained of the building. As you can see, it naturally
divides itself into twelve 10-foot by 12-foot spaces. We’ll have the
counter in the center at the front of the gallery.
The building at the far left used to house the Laurel Hill Bank. A walk
inside reveals a spectacular 22-foot ceiling and again, original
beautiful bricks along the walls.
Wittmer isn’t sure yet what that building will become, but the
possibilities are seemingly endless. Each of the buildings was
constructed shortly after the turn of the last century, in 1905. The
entry into the old bank building has been completely restored to its
original state. The front entrance is an exact duplicate of the
original, explained Wittmer. That includes wooden posts and room for
spacious glass windows aligning the front of the structure. In fact, the
wood used to construct the posts came from a tree cut in DeFuniak
Springs that was 200 years old.
The owner says that the comments he’s gotten so far from people in the
community regarding the restoration have been very positive. I’ve gotten
wholesale encouragement from everyone,” said Wittmer. There’s a
willingness to assist in any way, he added. I have met no naysayers.
The project began earlier this year and should be completed by this
summer.
We started the construction and renovation in January, explained Curtis
Tunnage, who’s working on the heating and cooling units in the
buildings. We tore all the walls down to their natural surface, the
brick. Everything had been plastered with concrete, but now, we’ve
sandblasted the brick and it’s all original.
Like many people in Laurel Hill, Tunnage has a connection to the old
structures downtown. “My wife’s granddaddy used to own this building, he
said of the middle structure, which used to house a dry goods and
grocery store and at one point a restaurant. Tunnage added, My
mother-in-law bought her first pair of shoes here.
Like Wittmer, James and the other workers have a lofty vision of what
the finished product will be. It’s going to be extraordinary for him
(Wittmer) to renovate buildings that are 100 years old, James said. To
know that it’s still intact and this pretty and this nice is just
amazing.
James, in fact, remembers Laurel Hill when it was in its heyday.
Actually, there was a depot here in town that would carry out the
lumber, he said. Lumber was a thriving business at that time. This part
of the county was just swamped with wood. Laurel Hill used to be a
booming town.
Jack Darr, another worker, has been wearing many hats during the
restoration effort. I’ve been working on a little bit of all of it, he
pointed out, anything that goes along with construction.
Darr moved to the area about 11 years ago and he remembers thinking that
the buildings were something of an eyesore. I would drive by and see
these buildings and think that they needed to be torn down, said Darr.
They were pretty much run down structures.
With the renovation, Darr feels like many positive changes will take
place in Laurel Hill. “I think it’s probably going to bring a community
center at some point, and definitely a few more jobs will be available.
Naturally, whenever you put in a business, you’re adding income to the
area.
George Wittmer and his wife Hope have undertaken quite a few restoration
projects in Laurel Hill. Those include the renovation of the old
Messicks farmhouse, which the Wittmers established as Farm World,
sprucing up the building that currently houses the Laurel Hill Grill,
the restoration of the old Dilley home and the former home of Doc
Stephens.
One day, Wittmer says he would like to see a new library in the small
community.
When we first moved here, we had two daughters in school,” explained
Wittmer. We were attracted by the quality of the education, the
character of the community and the friendliness of the people.
When all is said and done, Wittmer says that his efforts simply mirror
his love for Laurel Hill. “We love Laurel Hill,” he said. My wife and I
are committed to improving the quality of life here in Laurel Hill. |
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