Local couple recognized for renovation of historic buildings

TRYON — Tryon’s Missildines, Bank and Jackson buildings serve as the heart of the community’s downtown district — literally and figuratively.

Located near the geographical center of Tryon, the trio of structures has become a vital cog in the town’s commercial engine, housing businesses where locals and visitors come to enjoy a good bottle of wine, shop for some unique gifts or — in the coming weeks — will be able to swing by for dinner. For a number of Tryonites, the buildings are where they call home as well, as the upper levels contain three condominiums.

Despite their importance to the resurgence of Tryon’s downtown, it was just four years ago today that the buildings sat dormant, unoccupied and in serious need of some TLC.

It was through the vision of Tryon’s Gayle and Scott Lane, and the creativity and efforts of many others in the community, that the historic structures have been restored to their old glory, and have returned to their spot as one of the centers of town’s business and cultural landscapes.

The local couple were recently recognized for their project to renovate buildings during the 2017 North Carolina Main Street and Small Town Main Street Awards Ceremony in Clayton, North Carolina, on March 14. The North Carolina Department of Commerce awarded the Lanes with one of its Best Historic Rehabilitation Project awards, in the design category.

A panel of judges chose this year’s award winners from dozens of applications submitted by Main Street communities throughout the state.

The Lanes and the rest of “Team Tryon” — which included project architect Dean Trakas, Tryon commissioner Crys Armbrust, and Jamie Carpenter and Scott Hooper with the Tryon Downtown Development Association — attended the ceremony.

“It’s really cool, and very rewarding,” Gayle said about the award. “It’s really nice to think that the project has had an impact outside just our community.”

In addition, Trakas, with Tryon’s Brady Trakas Architects, received one of the organization’s Main Street Champion Awards during the visit to Clayton.

The Lanes — who moved to Tryon from Charleston several years after purchasing the historic Stone Hedge Inn — have worked since 2014 to restore Missildines — originally built in 2013 to replace the original Missildine’s Drug Store, which burned down — and the two other downtown buildings. The couple, who had both worked in historic preservation before moving to North Carolina, took on the project after Armbrust expressed his concerns that the town’s business district may become “a ghost town,” as the three buildings had sat, empty and on the market, for more than eight years before Scott and Gayle scooped them up, Gayle said.

While the buildings were in rough shape — birds had taken up residence in some parts of the structures — the couple moved ahead with their vision, coming up with plans to transform the three structures into buildings where people could live and businesses could thrive.

The two employed the services of Trakas and Julie McIntyre to come up with designs for the restoration, and hired Mike Karaman with Karaman Properties to handle the construction. Aiding the $2 million project were historic tax credits, which made the effort financially feasible, Gayle said.

Over the next several years, crews installed new plumbing and mechanical systems into the venerable structures, while preserving the original doorways, skylights, tin and wood ceilings, wood floors, and plaster walls. Each building was renovated in a manner that stayed true to the history of the structures.

Today, the three buildings contain three condos and three retail spaces. The final piece of the project will soon fall into place, as the recently-finished basement of the three buildings will house a new restaurant, Harper Eatery & Pub, which is expected to open next month.

“Our goal [with the renovation] was to create a parking problem downtown,” Gayle said. “At times, we actually have. It’s been really nice. It’s a great problem to have, considering the alternative.”

Gayle said that, although it is her and Scott’s names on the award, the distinction belongs to everyone involved in the project, including the architects who designed the renovation and Karaman and his crew for making the construction possible.

“I’m very excited,” Karaman about the award and the fact that the renovation project is nearing its completion. “It’s been a great project for the community, and I’m honored to have been a part of it. As a local resident myself, it’s been wonderful to see these buildings renovated. They really add to the value of downtown Tryon.”

The team responsible for making the transformation happen have little time to sit back and bask in the glory of their award, however, as an extensive renovation of the Tryon Theatre — another downtown property owned by the Lanes — will begin on Monday. The work will call for a complete overhaul of the interior, with the installation of a new heating and cooling units, seats and other furniture, carpeting and ceiling, concessions area, movie screen, and more.