It has been
vacant since when they were born. Still, nine Fairmont State University
students have been occupied by helping the city through a lengthy, teamwork
process of restoring its century-old Masonic building.
The Masons
contracted for an impressive structure to serve as their lodge and a commercial
building in downtown Fairmont back in 1906. The result was a five-story Beaux-Arts style building with
three bays, a mezzanine, balcony and basement complete with a bowling alley.
The building once housed the post office, 17 offices, apartments, banquet hall,
ball room and lodge with a 16-foot ceiling.
Officials estimate that restoration of the Jefferson Street
building will cost considerably more than the original construction bill of
$122,000.
Although the structure was included on the National Register
of Historic Places in 1993, Fairmont City Planner Kathy
Wyrosdick said it continued to deteriorate as it remained abandoned for
decades.
"It's a beautiful building that's been on our
wish list for quite some time," she said. "It has wonderful potential ,and so
it's something that we wanted to preserve and save.
"One of the biggest challenges was that it was
essentially a vertical landfill. Just about every square inch of it was covered
with remnants of the uses past."
The debris included tires and a thousand
gallons of paint. Cleanup help for the city's Urban Renewal Authority came
from the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, the West
Virginia Development Office and Main Street Fairmont. The West
Virginia Preservation Office is assisting with roof replacement project.
"We can get things done if we join together
and collaborate," said Wyrosdick, an Elkins native who relocated to Fairmont
after a dozen years as a city planner in Michigan. "Independently, we just
don't have the resources to do these things."
That's where the Fairmont State students
stepped in. Nine senior-level architecture students were entered in a
competition to design a redevelopment project on the block adjacent to the
building. The students were challenged to develop design concepts that would create
a "dynamic, open, culturally accepting environment."
Student Yun Oh Kim was the winner. He received the $250 Community Choice Award, as decided by
public vote, and the $1,000 first place prize as determined by a panel of four
judges. Kim's winning concept included a small green space across the street
and a connector to nearby parking.
Associate Professor Philip Freeman said
project benefited both his students and the city.
"This unique opportunity allows the City of
Fairmont to showcase itself as a forward thinking city that is willing to
highlight its historic architecture and its development opportunities, as well
as a city that celebrates the talented students attending Fairmont State
University," Freeman said in a press release.
"We try as often as we can to engage Fairmont
State University and Pierpont Community College students in the work
that we do," said Wyrosdick, "We want tap into the talent of the students and
we want them to be excited about visiting our downtown."
She said there's presently no timeline for the
overall project, noting that it took five years to merely acquire the
structure. The end use of the building is also yet to be determined.
"We have to baby step this," she said. "All we
know is that we want that building preserved."
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