The historic Hester Store near Greenville, S.C., has been purchased from the Palmetto Trust by an innovative Charlotte restoration company that plans to restore it and use it as their Upstate S.C. headquarters. A special renovation launch is scheduled for Jan. 18.
Built in the late 1800’s, the Hester Store – a sort of roadside country store once typical throughout the South – is 20 minutes from downtown Greenville at the busy intersection of Thomas Mill Road and Hester Store Road in Pickens County. Vacant and in disrepair for many years, the old Hester & Sons Grocery store once served the Dacusville community. (Historic details at http://bit.ly/HesterStore.)
The wooden, two-story building with a stone facade has been purchased from the Palmetto Trust by Falcone Crawlspace & Structural Repair, a Charlotte company which specializes in repairing and restoring the foundations and floor beams of houses and buildings throughout the Carolina and Georgia. Co-owner Melissa Falcone saw the store listed on the Palmetto Trust website and noted that it had extensive termite and moisture damage.
“I thought, ‘I know someone who can fix that!'” she said. “Our business has really grown since it started in 2005, and we created 12 jobs last year. We need a second branch location to better serve the South Carolina Upstate and western NC. We expect the rehabilitation project and construction of a detached workshop will cost about the same as leasing an office and warehouse space for five years, so it makes good business sense for us.”
A special renovation launch will be held Jan. 18, with local elected officials and Palmetto Trust staff on site at 10 a.m.
“Even though we have an A rating with the Better Business Bureau and have 59 Angie’s List Super Service Awards under our belt, it’s still scary for homeowners to choose someone to repair their crawl space,” she said. “Buying this humble building and turning it into our permanent Upstate office should help show homeowners that we’re solid, and we’re investing in improving the community.”
Her partner/husband Fred Falcone noted, “The building was very well-built, but was neglected over the years. There are holes in the floor, walls and roof… but the building is definitely repairable. As our company grows, we look for new ways to train employees, and the Hester Store building is an excellent training site. In about a year, when structural and cosmetic repairs are complete, Falcone Crawl Space will have an office upstairs and open a 1,400 square foot retail store on the first floor. Eight to 10 full-time local jobs will be created for by our company in the process.”
The bulk of the work that needs to be done is structural, she explained, but the nearly 10,000 vehicles that drive by each day will notice the biggest changes this summer when a new metal roof is installed and the wood siding is repaired and painted.
For more information, visit www.FalconeCrawlspace.com or contact Melissa Falcone at 866-651-8989.
