Orangeburg Mayor Paul Miller isn't one bit shy about bragging when he says, "I think we have the finest City Council chambers in South Carolina."

And, the mayor has every reason to be proud. The recently completed $1 million total makeover of the old fire station and surrounding property -- the city's 80-year old historical landmark -- not only provides council with state-of-the-art meeting facilities but also restores a local relic and advances the revitalization of the downtown.

"The new City Council chambers building has been a long-time dream of our council. The finished product far exceeds my expectations of what it would look like when it was finished," the mayor said. "The inside of the building really turned out better than I ever imagined it would. ... This City Council chambers will be used for a long, long time. ... It's a very warm and tastefully done building. ... I just think it's first-class all the way."

Click here for a special look inside the chambers at the ribbon-cutting.

On another level, Miller notes, council was "in a position to restore an old building, which goes in concert with our revitalization, the streetscape and the new parking lots. We're kind of practicing what we preach."

The new chambers were designed by local architect West Summers, who described the historic structure as a "diamond in the rough."

"Between the parking lot and the courtyard and the restoration of that building, it is a million dollar project," Miller said. "I'm so proud of it, I don't know which way to go."

Miller urges all Orangeburg residents to view the new chambers by attending a session of council, which meets regularly at 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.

Council has been meeting in the new chambers since mid-June. However, the presentation by Orangeburg County Economic Development Director Gregg Robinson a few weeks ago marked the first time council members had the opportunity to use their new inlaid monitors. While spectators watched the two large wall-mounted flat-screen televisions, council members were able to simply glance down at their own individual monitors, the latest in audio-visual technology.

The high tech monitoring system is just one of the unique features and amenities the new facility has to offer.

With a dramatic tray ceiling in council chambers, the new facility also features a rich color scheme, classic walnut furnishings and oversized tinted picture windows that replace the old fire station bays that fronted Middleton Street. Plantation shutters are used in the conference room, kitchen and office.

"Mrs. Rheney and I picked out the drapes and the fabric for the pews," said the mayor, who credited the councilwoman with also selecting the furniture.

The decorating effort was "a lot of fun," says Councilwoman Joyce Rheney, who received fabric and carpet samples from Architectural Interiors Inc., the Columbia firm recommended by Summers.

"It's so wonderful to see projects that you plan end up like this. ... It's been a long time coming," she said. "And, I worked with Martha Rose (Carson) on the furniture in the lobby."

In fact, Rheney emphasizes, "all of our office furniture came from places here in Orangeburg. That's very important. We tried to do everything we could right here in Orangeburg."

For his part, the mayor also donated two clocks to the project, including a Howard Miller clock that centers the back wall of the meeting chambers.

"One is the wall clock in council chambers. It's a clock that looks like it would fit the age of the building. And, I gave a clock for the executive board room," he said. "After I got in there, I got to thinking, if we're listening to someone making a presentation, we don't want to take our eyes off (and glance at our watches). It's a space filler, and it's big enough to be seen."

The conference room art work, showcasing scenes from the Edisto Memorial Gardens, is the creation of Councilman Charlie Jernigan's daughter, Noel Steele. The printing technique, Miller explains, is called Giclee, a "special process she uses to make it look like it's on canvas, like an original."

The prints, Jernigan said, were framed by the city's building official, Gene Nelson.

"The conference room has been one of the nicest things," the councilman said. "We had our retreat in there. ... If we go into executive session, the audience doesn't have to leave."

Another feature, presented to council just recently by the visiting president of Zanzibar, is an intricately carved wooden door. That ceremonial gift from Africa is hanging in a "prominent place in the main lobby."

Then, there is the large city seal, a cast bronze medallion four feet in diameter, that's behind the council bench.

With two obtrusive columns dominating the center of the old council chambers, the new arrangement, Miller says, allows council and the audience an unobstructed view.

"I can see Oscar now," he said, referring to Dr. Oscar Butler, who regularly takes a far corner backseat at the council sessions.

And, it's not just the audience view that's improved.

"The council bench is configured in a way that the mayor could see the (council) people on each corner," Miller said. "Before, I couldn't see Joyce or Bernard (Haire). And now, they can see each other."

Improved visibility and the spacious conference room are the highlights cited by Councilman Trelvis Miller.

The handicap-accessible building, which is about 50 percent larger than the old facility next door, will seat between 75 and 100 people, about 20 more than the old chambers.

The ceiling, at about 16 to 17 feet high, provides an open feel, compared to the 9.5-foot ceilings in the old chambers. The building also has handicapped-accessible rest rooms, a kitchen for reception preparations, plus office and storage areas. There is a telecommunications room with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment. The second floor area serves as attic space for the heating and air conditioning, as well as the electronic and information lines.

The cost of the renovation project was $718,321. It was funded with about $300,000 from the second phase of the one-cent capital projects sales tax, with the rest of the cost split between the city and its Department of Public Utilities. West Columbia-based Lyn-Rich Contracting Company Inc. was the contractor.

The former council chambers will be used as a conference or planning room and may be converted into office space in the future.

In addition to City Council chambers, there is a landscaped courtyard complete with benches and an 18-space parking lot, which cost about $220,000.

"We've revitalized that block. ... That block is really taking shape," the mayor said. "We're now handicapped accessible, and that shouldn't cause a problem for anyone who comes to City Council."

Accessibility is the key for Councilman Bernard Haire.

"It's an excellent chamber. The public who are handicapped have easy access. The space and the interior are outstanding," Haire said. "We now have an executive co

mmittee room, and we don't have to make people leave. And the fact that we were able to save this building -- that was a great idea."

The mayor gives Services Department Director Roger Brant a lot of credit for the success of the new building.

"Roger spent a lot of time over there on that project. He was like an overseer for the city," he said. "Roger, when he started out for the city, started out in that building."

According to the mayor, "it all goes back to when we made a commitment to bring (Orangeburg Department of) Public Safety back downtown. Once we got Public Safety moved, we restored the old fire station. ... The building has historical value, too."

The Orangeburg Fire Department's roots go back to 1854, when a group of residents recognized the need for fire protection in a growing Orangeburg. The resulting Young American Fire Engine Co. purchased a hand-pumping engine, named it the Comet and established its headquarters in a building that was in front of First Baptist Church on Russell Street. The department moved several times before locating adjacent to City Hall in 1927, about seven years after the volunteer departments consolidated under city governance. Groundbreaking for the firehouse was held Jan. 24, 1927, and was part of a broader construction project that included Stevenson Auditorium, City Hall and the city police department and jail.

Despite the strong connection to the history of Orangeburg, Jernigan stresses that the building is designed to meet the needs of the future.

"This is something all of Orangeburg can be proud of. Not just City Council, but the whole city can be proud of it," he said. "It represents the future of Orangeburg."

Click here to take the Orangeburg City Council Chambers quiz.

T&D Government Writer Tucker Lyon can be reached by e-mail at tlyon@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5545. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

You must be logged in to comment.