The iconic Bakersville Greene building has been a hub of construction activity of late. That’s because a couple has led an effort to give the building new life. See more of its history in this week’s Looking Back feature.
One of the oldest buildings in Bakersville is being given a new life.
Locals refer to it as the Greene building because it was built by David McDonald Greene and his son Frank. The Looking Back feature in this week’s News-Journal goes deeper on the history.
Isabel and Leighton Wehr, on vacation from Texas, fell in love with the area and decided to move here permanently. Instead of coming just to live, they wanted also to give.
“We appreciate the growing downtown areas and love the old buildings that need some renovations and TLC to be brought back to life,” Leighton Weir said.
Which is just what they are doing in both Bakersville and Spruce Pine.
“We also looked at the area,” Leighton Weir said. “And we thought, what do people want to see in these buildings without compromising the integrity of the original structure and how can we help?”
They secured the services of Jeff Silvers, owner of Tri-County Construction, and together they are reclaiming historic spaces that will benefit the communities for years to come.
One side of the Greene building had to be raised and the foundation secured before any other work could go forward. It required raising one side wall a bit over 3 inches on the front and a bit over an inch on the back.
It doesn’t sound like much, but the work required is significant. Steel helical piers were augured into the ground along the wall until they reached a firm footing.
In this case, the depth ranged from 13-16 feet. The walls then were raised about an inch at a time progressing along the wall using hydraulic jacks. Once the proper height was reached, a concrete foundation was poured enclosing the piers and supporting the wall.
The work required Silvers’ exact skillset. His is the only company within 50 miles of the Toe River Valley that is certified to do such work.
The next step is to make sure that floors are level and resting on protected sills and not on ground. When all the work is completed, the Wehr’s will replace the windows and rework the interior.
Their plans at this time are to rent the top floor as offices and maintain the ground floor as an art studio/gallery or perhaps an antique store.
“We’re not sure just yet, but one thing we want to make sure that we do is take our time and bring these buildings back to life” they said.