Historic Middletown building gets lifted as restoration begins
Feb. 25—The first step toward laying a solid foundation for a historic West Main Street building — recognized by Middletown locals as the former Bussard's Barbershop — began this week in order to transform the structure into a future welcome center and office.
Main Street Middletown, MD Inc. owns the building and is on a mission to revitalize and restore 19 W. Main St., which consists of two one-story buildings adorned with oversized Gothic Revival trim and red shutters. The larger side is believed to be a former harness shop dating back to about 1870, Main Street Executive Director Becky Axilbund said. The smaller side is a bit younger, but together, they provide a little less than 900 square feet of space.
Crews from Kellgard Contracting, based out of Hagerstown, set to work on the foundation Wednesday. Axilbund said the structure has been sitting on a partial stone foundation over the years, with some of the wood sitting directly on dirt. A visitor inside the building could see with their naked eye how uneven the floor is, she said.
Overseeing the construction, Kenny Gardner said the plan is to use four jacks placed between cribbing to simultaneously lift the building four to five feet. Steel beams will provide extra support. Crews will dig by hand underneath and then pour concrete. Gardner expects the building will be suspended for roughly 45 days, weather permitting. The entire project could take about six months, he said, though Axilbund noted that depends on funding.
"This is the first major step," she said. "It's just very exciting for us as a nonprofit to be doing this work. I think it's exciting for the whole downtown."
The building has a Maryland Historical Trust easement on the exterior, which means there are standards in place to ensure the building maintains its historical features.
"It's a very carefully thought out project," Axilbund said.
Last week, the inside was gutted. Once the foundation is ready, Gardner said crews will move onto restoration.
"It's a lot of fine detail work," he said.
Donations coupled with grants have secured about $150,000 for the project, Axilbund said. Main Street needs approximately $50,000 more to complete it.
Axilbund recalled the first time she stepped inside the barbershop. Two men sat in chairs while another parked on a plaid, 1970s era couch. A western played on the television. The business was operated by former Commissioner Larry Bussard until he retired in 2017. He cut hair for three generations of locals.
"For most people that live here, they remember getting their hair cut there," Axilbund said. "This was the original man cave."
She views the restoration as an investment into the community and one way Main Street can remain productive amid COVID-19 restrictions.
Follow Mary Grace Keller on Twitter: @MaryGraceKeller
