Elm Street Pushes Ahead With Project — Without Reeves House

WOODSTOCK, GA — The project to renovate a historic home in Woodstock recently faced a major stumbling block, as the precarious structural integrity of the Reeves House forced crews to demolish the old home. However, those behind the campaign to create a cultural arts hub in the downtown area are pushing ahead with plans to create a new space for the Elm Street Cultural Arts Village.

Renovations on the home situated along the Noonday Creek trail near Market Street began in earnest, but hit a snag in March when crews discovered the house was not stable enough to continue with the current plans to save the building.

Elm Street Executive Director Christopher Brazelton said the organization reached out to every donor in March, informing them of the obstacles and the "very difficult decision we made" to demolish the home. Elm Street made the decision to "strip and save" every historical aspect of the home, and proceed with demolition and building a new structure.

"We were very concerned about safety, given all of the details that the architects, construction company, and our team had learned," he told Patch.

This doesn't mean the new facility will have no trace of the home that once stood in its place. Brazelton said the new facade will include materials that were part of the old home. Crews spent three weeks salvaging very piece of wood and brick that wasn't littered with asbestos and was safe to use, and Brazelton noted these items will be apparent throughout the home.

Those behind the project were hoping to have the renovated home completed by August or September of this year. However, Brazelton said since crews are having to re-engineer the project, so a more accurate timeline will become clearer over the next few weeks. The executive director said he expects the project could be wrapped up by the winter, as construction crews are working as fast as possible.

Elm Street budgeted $600,000 for the project and depending on any revised plans, there could be a need for additional funds, but that will be "minimal, and I am positive that as soon as the plans are finalized, we will continue with construction," Brazelton said.

Money contributed from donors in the community will still be used towards the Revive the Reeves project, as the folks behind the initiative are still embracing the history of the house with plans to incorporate part of the old structure into the new building, Brazelton told Patch.

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The news of the Reeves House's demise "stunned" the Cherokee County Historical Society, which said it worked with Elm Street to bring awareness to the site and to fundraise for its rehabilitation. It also alleges on its Facebook page that it was not consulted or informed of the decision made to "raze the house."

Historical Society Executive Director Stefanie Joyner said once the city acquired the property, the organization began posting articles in its newsletter and "shared their social media campaigns to raise money." She also said the group held its annual picnic in September 2014 where Brazelton outlined the project and asked for donations, and CCHS even included the home on its Sites Worth Saving list. The list asked people to comment on why each structure should be saved.

"To be honest, in recent years we have not checked back with Elm Street because we thought they were making progress on the renovation and the building was safe," she said. "Like Elm Street and other nonprofits we don't have a lot of staff, but in the future, we would like to be more proactive, especially with our Sites Worth Saving locations."

She also noted CCHS donated $200 on the day of the 2014 picnic and an additional $150 for a brick in honor of Juanita Hughes, the city's historian. She noted that CCHS's efforts were "early in the process," and they were unaware that Elm Street needed "additional help." In any event, the historical society should have followed up with Elm Street to keep track of its progress.

"We sympathize with the situation Elm Street is in, and understand the city's concern about safety," Joyner said. "We're glad they are reusing the historic elements, but wish the facade at least could have been saved. I know that it wasn't an easy decision for them, and obviously I wasn't part of those conversations but there have been many, many, historic buildings renovated that people thought were beyond saving."

Upon completion, the Reeves House will host a myriad of Visual Arts offerings. There will be a rotating gallery space featuring artist from near and far. A 24/7 maker's space dedicated to artists and their crafting, allowing them to create and feature their art for all to see and experience. There will also be classroom space, history space and a coffee shop/ bar space open to all who enter the Reeves.

City Manager Jeff Moon added no one with the Historical Society reached out to the city of Woodstock when it acquired the four-acre site in 2010 as part of a joint venture with the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners.

"They also were not involved in any way helping us acquire the property, so I'm not exactly sure where the outrage is coming from now," he added.

RELATED: Woodstock Backs Reeves House Renovation | Revive The Reeves Campaign Gains Community Support

Moon also said Elm Street released its plans three months ago, and the issues were even discussed at a City Council meeting. The historical society would have been "informed" of these developments if they were more involved in the process, the city manager added.

Brazelton went on to say that Elm Street has tried to be as transparent as possible about the process, as it reached out to city personnel, donors and made the information public on its social media accounts. When the house first came down, there were some reactions on Facebook, so Elm Street shared information about state of the structure with its followers.

"We all agree that it was disappointing, but we still are excited about what the place will be," he added. "The goal has always been to build a place that will be a pulse for the community. We do focus on vibrancy. While it isn't what was originally hoped for with historic preservation, we will still take every measure we can to embrace the history of the site and the house."

Image via Kristal Dixon