Holly Springs To Demolish Barrett's Store

HOLLY SPRINGS, GA — The city of Holly Springs has moved forward with a project to demolish a landmark building in its downtown area. The city on Friday announced it will tear down the E.M. Barrett Store, the brick structure at the corner of Palm Street and Hickory Road.

The building will be removed to accommodate the widening of Hickory Road in conjunction with the city's Town Center Road Network Plan, which calls for constructing a roundabout east of Cherokee County Fire Station No. 8 on Hickory Road and the construction of the Palm Street Extension just north of Walnut Street to Hickory Road roundabout.

That plan also includes removing the stop sign at the intersection of Palm Street and Hickory Road, building another westbound travel lane and converting the northern ending of Palm Street to a right-in/right-out intersection.

"When engineers suggested this option, we asked them immediately if plans could be reworked to avoid the demolition of the E.M. Barrett Store," said Mayor Steven Miller. "When the other option
presented was the demolition of the Hardin House at the other corner of Hickory Road and Palm Street, we began to look at each building’s part of history within our city. While the E.M. Barrett Store was a staple in our community for many years, the building as it currently stands is not indicative of its importance to our history. We do plan on salvaging what materials we can from the current structure and integrating those pieces into a permanent feature in the redeveloped Town Center."

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City Manager Rob Logan said Holly Springs will have to acquire right-of-way before it can move forward with demolition. This process, he added, will take at least six months to complete.

According to the Cherokee County Historical Society, Barrett's Store once served as the post office. The facility in July was named to the organization's Sites Worth Saving List for 2018.

The building's current occupants, Bloom Hair Design, understand the city's decision, Holly Springs said. Co-owners Jana Tillman and Chelsey Wilkes released a statement, thanking the city for "being so transparent with us through this entire process."

"We love our current location, but understand that because of many factors, including the building’s condition, this is the best option," Tillman and Wilkes said. "We have faith that this is all happening for the greater good, and we will continue to bloom in our new location."

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A store constructed of wood originally stood where the current brick structure stands, which was owned and operated by brothers Frank and Hardy Delay. In 1925, the original wooden store burned, and a brick store was constructed in its place, the city added. E.M. Barrett bought the store from the Delays in 1933. In the 1950s, an addition was made to the structure, doubling its size.

The city of Holly Springs has reached out to Cherokee County Historical Society Executive Director Stefanie Joyner for her input on the preservation of the materials salvaged during demolition as well as historic photographs and written history to document the building for future generations.

Joyner said the Historical Society was "surprised" to learn of Holly Springs' decision, as Mayor Miller told its board members that the city would seek alternatives to widening the road in order to save the building. CCHS also encouraged Holly Springs to move the building into its new Town Center instead of demolishing it.

CCHS goes on to say that Barrett's Store is one of the few historic buildings in Holly Springs, and could become a "cornerstone" in the city's planned downtown redevelopment. The group also said it will be willing to help the city "exhaust all possible options before demolition."

"We encourage anyone who is in this position to contact the Historical Society before these irreversible decisions are made," Joyner said. "In south Cherokee County, we’re losing our history one building at a time. It’s important that we find a way to incorporate this history into our redevelopment plans, so we don’t lose what makes Cherokee County so special."

Image via Cherokee County Historical Society