The heifers are moo-ving to a bigger pasture!

I am so excited to announce that Cow Palace Emporium is moo-ving to a bigger pasture!  Just a scant half-block down the street to 211 East Main.  Sadly, Cow Palace will be closed until all the renovations are complete and we've moved in all our merchandise.  But it's going to be SO worth it!

Melanie Jamison bought the building in December of 2016, and immediately set to work.  Lots of cleaning, painting and remodeling are going on.  She actually bought two buildings that sit side-by-side...209 and 211 Main.  At the present, she's focused on completing the remodeling of 211 Main, but will begin on the second building as soon as 211 is ready for occupancy.

While we're going through the remodeling process, I thought it would be fun to share with you the before and afters, plus a little bit of the building's history we've discovered.  Melanie shared a pic of the building's origin with me.

The first--and possibly most obvious--difference between this historic picture and more current ones, is the fact that the building sits alone on the street.  No building on either side.  The second thing to notice is the set of windows on the side of the building.  If you look closely, you can see that there is an arch above each of the windows.  That architechural feature will play in importance later in the before and after pictures.  

The next picture was shared on Facebook by James Wear.  He found it in a copy of Mrs. Caskey's book.  

The most notable difference between this picture and the one above is that it now has neighbors!  

To the right stands Brewster & Rutledge Real Estate.  On the left appears to be a grocery store.  Not sure of it's identity.  

Now let's jump to current time.  The pic below is the exterior view of the building at the time of purchase, December 2016.  Hidden from the street and afar by the tin awning that hangs above them, you'll discover two beautifully arched windows.  The beauty of the arches, combined with the fine wood moldings that surround the windows is exquisite.  And the front door!  It appears to be original and with the original hardware.  It, too, is a wonderful example of the building's history and the craftsmen of the day.

The next picture was taken in December 2016, as well.  Much the same, but shot from a different angle, which affords us a peek of the tin awning that hangs over the front of the building--and the sad string of Christmas lights dangling from the edge of the awnings.

Check back often for updates on the renovation of 211 Main and the history that the building is revealing to Melanie and me.  

Note:  Most of the current day pictures are provided by Melanie Jamison, as she is much better photographer than me!