When the brick office building with its large windows and white colonnades was constructed, the building’s fine craftsmanship was praised by city officials.

Shortly after its construction, the city added a spark of life to the 1000 block of Middleton Street, especially the area near City Hall.

Today, the 9,200-square-foot Cameron Building, as it is named, continues to be the pride of the city with its well-trimmed bushes and neatly cut lawn.

For the past 14 years, about half the building has served as the chambers for U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Karen Williams.

With Williams’ July announcement of her retirement due to the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease, the future of the brick office building is uncertain. Since Williams retirement, office staff have been clearing the building.

“What I would like to do is to sell that building,” said Edwin Pearlstine, its owner, Charleston resident and long-time philanthropist, “I don’t know what I would like to do, but I plan to market that building to someone in Orangeburg.”

Pearlstine said he will have some meetings with Orangeburg real estate agents to get a firmer idea of building possibilities and of the Orangeburg real estate market.

He said he will more aggressively market the building in the coming months.

“I think it would make for a great location for a law firm,” Pearlstine said, adding that the building could also serve well for city of Orangeburg or university office space.

Pearlstine touted the building as well upfitted with plenty of parking and security lighting,.

He is saddened by the news of Williams’ illness and sudden retirement.

“It all hit me pretty quick,” Pearlstine said. “It is a shame what has happened to her.”

The building is one of the few U.S. General Services Administration federally leased buildings in downtown. A little over half the facility is federally leased.

The remaining portion of the building was rented to smaller tenants, including the Orangeburg County Development Commission, other professional office space, school district offices and the building’s only current insurance company tenant, R.L. Utsey & Co. The building’s parking lot has also been used by Orangeburg’s First Baptist Church for overflow parking.

“GSA is having conversations with the U.S. courts as to their continuing and future needs for the leased space,” GSA spokesman Gary Mote said. “Although the judge may have retired, the courts still have need for the space at this time. If the courts no longer have a need for the space, GSA will use whatever cancellation privileges afforded in the lease and or negotiate a lease buyout.”

Mote was uncertain as to specifically what use the building may have for the courts.

The lease expiration date is Nov. 30, 2015.

Before settling on the Middleton Street site, Williams considered many locations, such as the Pink Palace, the county Administrative Centre or the old Masonic temple, but all had difficulties that couldn’t be worked around.

Despite the setbacks, Williams was set on having an Orangeburg office.

The Middleton Street site was settled upon partly because of the site’s proximity to the Orangeburg County Courthouse. The building’s extensive law library would then be easily accessible by the city’s attorneys and judges.

C.F. Evans Co. was tapped to be the general contractor for the building and owned the building through 2006 until Pearlstine purchased it.

In addition to the building’s high-end design, the attention to aesthetics is visible throughout.

The millwork in the building from the mahogany doors to the cabinetry was all custom-made. The moldings, window boxing and carpet also were all specially made for the project.

The bookshelves in the library have mahogany panels matching the library’s shelving, which matches the door designs.

Evans used all local people in the construction of the building. Approximately 120 worked on the chambers.

Everything from the bulletproof glass to the curtains was found in South Carolina.

Federal regulations during construction required Williams to remain in her temporary quarters about two years longer than expected.

All the offices have certain guidelines for federal buildings, from wallpaper to lighting to doors.

But some of the guidelines were designed specifically for the protection of the judge and her chambers.

All the windows in the building have bulletproof glass that meets NATO specifications. It took five months for the building’s windows to be tested and certified.

There are surveillance cameras throughout the building and the walls had to be built with extensive soundproofing.

Next to Williams’ chambers is an adjoining office building that had to be completely separated from hers by a wall of concrete, meeting federal regulations.

C.F. Evans President Johnny Evans said the building is “a good fixture for Orangeburg.”

“It would be great for the city to take it,” Evans said. “I think it would be a perfect fit for the city to expand their offices and be all under one location.”

Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association Executive Director Bernice Tribble described the building as “beautiful.”

“I would love to see the office space readied,” Tribble said. “It would bring more people downtown. It is a very nice building.”

Tribble said the facility is convenient to downtown and has its own adequate parking.

“It would be a very desirable location for somebody,” she said.

A couple of years ago, Pearlstine donated a portion of the back lot area to DORA for use as a possible downtown parking area.

This donation complemented DORA’s purchase of an adjoining lot for additional public downtown parking for the 1100 block of Broughton Street and Stevenson Auditorium.

The parking would be designed in similar fashion to the lots across from The Times and Democrat and at the corner of Broughton and Amelia streets. Plans are to have the area landscaped with lightning in the near future.

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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