We've started to rent out the street-front retail space of our building for events. So far, the space has hosted a 50th birthday party, a magic performance for 30 kids, and a sit-down dinner for 16 people. Planning a party? A rehearsal dinner? A wine tasting? Rent our space! Photo courtesy of @bigplanetsmallworld
Beauty in decay
When we started renovating our building the roof had caved in on one side of the building. We were able to save and restore about 40 percent of the original lath and plaster walls (on the side where the roof hadn't collapsed), but many walls were too damaged by water and mold to be saved. It's a shame, because they were beautiful, even in in their disintegrating state. Here, fragments of paint and crumbling wallpaper hint at what was once there.
A good omen
Shortly after we bought our building we found this whiskey bottle on the ground floor of the building. Since my last name is Jones, it seemed like a good omen.
With room for two
All showers in all bathrooms are tiled with all-new, white subway tile. Two bathrooms are ADA accessible and two bathrooms have the added perk of two showerheads :)
Room with a view
We’ve installed new, energy-efficient windows in each apartment. The windows have a historic profile, and look very similar to the original windows. In addition to complying with requirements for historic preservation and energy conservation, they look beautiful.
Saving the old lights
What do you do when the old wiring in your building can’t handle 120 volts? Our electrician had a brilliant suggestion: convert the power to 12 volts (the equivalent of car batteries) and get RV light bulbs. Thanks to his suggestion, we were able to save all the old lights in the retail area of our building. We’d like to preserve as many original features as possible, and we’re happy when we find ways to do so.
This could be the door to your new home!
Two apartments have been rented and four apartments remain in our historic building in fun and quirky Thomas, WV! All apartments have original hardwood floors, and we were able to keep the original lath and plaster walls and original wainscoting in some of the apartments. Doors with transom windows and other details preserve the building’s turn-of-the-century charm. Two bathrooms feature restored claw foot bathtubs, and most have restored sinks that are original to the building. Read more about the available apartments here. Please spread the word!
License to operate a store
Tacked to the wall of our retail space is a thick stack of municipal licenses to operate a store – and sell tobacco, cigars and snuff. The original owners of the building, a Lithuanian immigrant family with the anglicized last name of Milkint, operated a general store in this space from the early 1900s. The oldest license on the wall that we can see (without pulling out the nails) dates back to 1930.
Hiking in Tucker County
Last year's leaves caught in a rapid during yesterday's walk. Tucker County has an abundance of hiking and biking trails. Read more about things to do in Thomas and Tucker County here.
Let the sunshine in!
For some inexplicable reason, the skylights in the four stairways in our building were all boarded up. We opened them up and now the stairways are bathed in natural light. (Look, blue skies!)
