The rehabilitation and restoration of Orangeburg's historic fire station for use as the new City Council Chambers received statewide recognition Saturday.

The Council Chamber project was awarded the Main Street South Carolina 2008 Gaines Jontz Rehabilitation Award.

The award was presented at the Municipal Association of South Carolina's 69th annual meeting Aug. 8.

"I think it is an example and should speak to the citizens of Orangeburg of the commitment that our city has in revitalizing and restoring our historic buildings," said Bernice Tribble, Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association executive director. "We can't build those buildings like that anymore. The 1920s is an era gone by, but we have been able to preserve what we have left."

Tribble said the city received a plaque as part of the award which will be placed in the building.

The project was nominated by DORA.

Orangeburg Mayor Paul Miller said the restoration of the old fire station was just a part of an ongoing downtown revitalization.

"We felt that the Middleton Street block could be greatly enhanced by taking that station and turning it into a handicap-accessible modern, up-to-date city council chamber," Miller said. "Along with the revitalization of the building went the courtyard. That was pretty deplorable."

Miller said the statewide recognition affirms what he has always thought.

"We are extremely proud of our facility," Miller said. "It has been a great place for meetings and for the public because of the state-of-the-art facility we have."

Orangeburg City Administrator John Yow said the renovations make him "proud."

"We have restored and saved a historic building for future generations," he said.

The firehouse was originally built in 1927 as part of a city complex which housed the city hall, an auditorium and a jail.

When the fire department relocated to its new space on Middleton Street as part of Orangeburg's new Department of Public Safety building, the city recognized the importance of preserving the building.

City officials cut the ribbon at the new 4,000-square-foot facility in May 2008 and held its first council meeting there in June.

The handicap-accessible building is about 50 percent larger than the former facility on the second floor of City Hall, providing greater seating capacity and better visibility for those who attend council meetings.

In addition to Council Chambers, the building also has a conference room for executive sessions.

The building has handicapped-accessible rest-rooms, a kitchen for reception preparations, plus office and storage areas.

Also featured in the building is a telecommunications room with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment. The second floor serves as attic space.

The building is accessible at two different places on the ground level.

The project 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 area formerly used as a parking lot was landscaped and a courtyard and a connector were created between buildings.

The Municipal Association described the renovations as maintaining "the historical and architectural integrity of the building and ... as an example of the great potential of all historic properties."

It is not the first time an Orangeburg project has received the Gaines Jontz award.

Roy Chandler of Ferses 5&10 won the award in 1995, the renovation of the Stevenson Auditorium was recognized in 2000 and Mike Johnson and Greg Campbell of 1058 Grille received the award in 2003 for their work on the rehabilitation of a vacant downtown building and its subsequent transformation into a restaurant/bar.

The award was named in honor of Gaines Jontz, an architect who inspired many communities during his tenure as design services manager for the Municipal Association. Gaines passed away in 1994 in an airline accident.

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T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com

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