Former Missildines building owners Scott and Gayle Lane are holding a fundraiser for the Upstairs Artspace this Saturday to support a local organization as well as to satisfy curiosity on the progress of the restoration of one of Tryon’s most historic buildings.
The fundraiser will be on Saturday, May 31 from 6-9 p.m. at the former Missildines, Tryon Federal and Jackson buildings at 15 South Trade Street, located at the corner of North Trade and Oak Streets downtown. The event will be a party and fundraiser to support Upstairs Artspace with exhibits of art and photographs of Tryon’s past, courtesy of Foothills Fine Art and private collectors.
“The idea of bringing some life back to this corner in the center of Tryon is very exciting,” said Gayle Lane.
“We’re looking forward to opening it up during the Upstairs Artspace event and welcome any ideas and suggestions as we move forward.”
The Lanes are renovating the once three separate buildings that most recently housed Tryon Federal Bank before its relocation in 2006.
Scott Lane said they are taking the buildings back to their original three buildings with plans for retail space on the main floor, residences upstairs and they would love to see a restaurant/pub in the bottom area.
“It’s such a beautiful space,” Scott Lane said. “To have it completely empty is just a shame.”
Scott Lane said the idea of purchasing and renovating the buildings came from Gayle, who would ride by and say what a shame it is for the historic buildings to be empty and that someone had to do something.
The tagline of Saturday’s event is “intersection of art and history” with the event being a drop-in and open house.
“It’s an open house to satisfy some curiosity, look back at some of Tryon’s history,” Scott Lane said. “It’s a chance to stop in and see what’s going on and support a great organization.”
So far, the Lanes have completed some early demolition in the building including removing the outside awning to make room for three new facades. Scott Lane said the plan is to continue to do demolition work then restore the storefronts sometime this summer. Realistically, he said the complete renovation will take a year.
The drop ceilings have been pulled out and some of the walls have been removed but the vault is still in the building. Once complete, the buildings will be three separate buildings with hopes of retail businesses or restaurants to move into the main floor and three to six condominiums upstairs.
Scott Lane said the renovations are to “continue to breathe life into downtown and to have people living downtown.”
History
The far left building is known as Missildines Pharmacy, which was constructed in the 1896 as the only drug store with Dr. Earl G. Grady. Dr. Missildine came to Tryon during the 1890s and joined Dr. Grady in the pharmacy. Missildines became the gathering place in Tryon. The upstairs of the building contained offices and a large hall. The building burned down in 1913 but was immediately rebuilt and was there until 1956 when it closed. Missildines is famed partly because F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a poem on a napkin while visiting Missildines during some of his stays at the Oak Hall Hotel in Tryon. The large hall upstairs accommodated the Masonic Lodge and civic groups including the chamber of commerce and the USO. In 1967 the building was purchased by Mrs. F.P. Bacon who housed Blue Ridge Weavers through the late 20th century before relocating to Pacolet Street. At that time the building became part of Tryon Federal Bank, which eventually remodeled to expand into all three buildings.
The middle and right buildings were both constructed around 1915 with the middle building known as the Tryon Federal Savings and Loan building and the right building known as the Jackson building. Tryon Federal purchased the middle building in 1935 and stayed until 2006.