Area renovation eclipses notion of ‘owing one’s soul’ to the company town
Jenaye Antonuccio (photo by Ed Venrick)
December 15, 2008
Some local restoration efforts hope to enrich community, environment, and culture in an area where the coal industry's scars left a stigma of poverty and decay.
More than a decade ago, little white bungalows dotted the rolling hillside along Johnson and Jackson Road near The Plains. After Eclipse mine #4 closed in 1948, many cottages and the company store were left in disrepair.
In 1997, six friends with interests in historic preservation, local history and the bike path’s proximity to the abandoned town purchased the land and 100-year-old structures from the former mine superintendent’s heir.
After the purchase, a developer planned condos and an assisted-living facility across Johnson Road, where more original town cottages were located. Motivated to preserve them, Eclipse Ltd. members moved five more cottages and slate roof tiles to the Jackson road site.
Eclipse Company Town, Ltd — 12 bungalows, one “shotgun” house and the company store – would slowly become a new town with inspiration from the owners’ fresh ideas.
Ten years and a variety of tenants later, the town members say it has always experienced commercial and residential stability. A recent nomination and acceptance into the National Historic Register, though, fulfilled one of the group’s primary goals. Athens lawyer Jonathan Sowash, one of the now-four owners notes, “A nice community has bloomed among us here at Eclipse.”
He adds, “One of the things we wanted to try to demonstrate is that you can restore historically significant places (and) reuse them for new purposes that the surrounding community will support. Not everything needs four-lane roads and stoplights to succeed. Not everything needs to look the same.”
In February, the last phase in their original plan will come to fruition. The old pay station and goods store will reopen with more than a facelift.
In many former mining towns, the company would grant credit (“scrip”) based on the amount of coal loaded, and the scrip could be exchanged for goods and services at the store. The trade of difficult and dangerous labor for simple bare necessities was summed up best in Merle Travis’ famous 1947 song “16 Tons” with the lyrics, “I owe my soul to the company store.”
Sowash says of their company store plans, “We want to expand its use as a place where the unique cultural heritage of southeast Ohio is honored and celebrated, to make it a community resource for the widest variety of reasons, events and activities.”
The at-risk, severely weathered building received a new foundation and siding; installation of heating/cooling, plumbing, electricity and insulation; and a kitchen and bathrooms. The spaces on the first and second floors can be used for a variety of purposes, including a rental hall for wedding receptions, banquets, workshops, theatrical events or concerts; or rooms for teaching classes such as tai chi or Pilates.
Cecilia Rinaldi, one of the four partners, says, “We’d like it to become the most happening place in the county — for activities suitable for the community at large, with great food and music and a place for community events.”
Eclipse events coordinator Robin Webb thinks the group’s decade-long efforts have been well-spent. “I think that Eclipse and the Eclipse Partners have restored vitality and energy to the region by preserving our local history and providing a space to honor it,” she says.
Visitors frequent the businesses, especially the restaurants.
One restaurant at the end of Jackson Drive has seen the most turnover. Ed Fisher’s Starving Wolf Café evolved into Sam and Missy Whaley’s Starving Wolf and Yellow Moon Café, and in turn became Scott Bradley’s Zoe. Its recent relocation to 24 1/2 E. State St. in uptown Athens left space for a new restaurant.
Adam Reed, sous chef at the new Lydi’s Fine Dining in Eclipse, began serving customers soon after painting the restaurant and remodeling the kitchen.
He says, “I offer an intimate setting that is casual, yet sophisticated, showcasing some of the area’s best artists.” Reed adds that he offers a seasonably changing menu, with local, fresh and simple food, in line with current trends.
Across the way, Jana’s Soul Food Café, which serves breakfast and lunch, has also found its niche at Eclipse.
“Having great restaurants at Eclipse has been an extra delight we did not anticipate,” says Sowash. “They have really been hits with the community, and we believe that will continue. You should see this place on weekends — people coming off the bike path for brunch and people driving in for casual and all-dressed-up evening dining and dinner parties.”
Eclipse is host to the Little Cities of Black Diamond Council’s benefit auction the second Saturday of every May, also known as the Appalachian Spring Festival. Patrons can enjoy live music, living history characters and concession stands, and peruse auction items. Seasonally, Eclipse also hosts a fresh produce stand at the entrance on Jackson Drive.
In summary, Sowash says, “Places that preserve and celebrate the unique features of our local place, be they cultural, historical, architectural, natural, artistic, spiritual, (or) locally made, nurture us and attract others to come visit. Bloom where you grow.”
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