July 3, 2012
Rockin’ Relics!
Rock ON, Rugby!
Sure, Rugby, ND, is the Geographical Center of North America. But the cool doesn’t stop there.
Rugby has a great old movie theater, some fine stone buildings, a vintage train station and Rockin’ Relics — a Pioneer era hardware store that is now a rockin’ soda fountain. A 1940s themed soda fountain is a 1900-era building. Delightful.
At the StoneBankBlog, we are always interested in great examples of adapting and reusing old buildings. Rockin’ Relics is not only a great example — it’s only 40 miles from the Stone Bank.
The food is yummy, too. Your StoneBankBlogger had a “Jerry Lee Lewis” sandwich — which was totally — you know — ROCKIN’.
Isn’t it great to see an appreciation for and inspired use of this old hardware store?
Our Stone Bank is a rockin’ relic itself — and we could use your help getting back to work on the restoration. Click the PayPal link and send us some love !
Click on like or make a comment. And as always, thanks for reading the StoneBankBlog!
May 20, 2012
Old Meets New at the Corner of Adaptive and Reuse
The term “adaptive reuse” is kind of flat, isn’t it? Those two words are pretty much yawn-inducing. Ho-hum.
EXCEPT when you see adaptive reuse done well — really well. Then it can be smile-inducing and, well, inspiring.
Case in point: the San Pedro Cafe in Hudson, Wis. It was once a bank building, with a small footprint and lovely arched windows. Now? It’s a hip, stylish and inviting casual cafe with fantastic food.
The renovation mixed elements of the old interior (think pressed tin ceiling tiles and an exposed brick wall) with contemporary styling, a funky color scheme and eclectic decor to create a great space.
San Pedro’s secret for serving a crowd from that tiny kitchen is that there is another prep kitchen in the basement.
Clever. And a great and thoughtful use of the space that is no larger than our own Stone Bank.
INSPIRING!
So, let’s lift a glass and toast this successful adaptive reuse. Not so boring now, eh? In fact, San Pedro is a beacon of the possible in restoring an old structure and giving it a vibrant new life.
Here’s a link to the San Pedro’s website for directions and other info.
We’re working on our own adaptive reuse at the Stone Bank. Now that you’ve seen what’s possible, we hope you’re inspired to help us meet our $40,000 fundraising goal this year. We have a PayPal link in the right sidebar for your convenience.
Give us a like or tell us if you’re already a fan of San Pedro.
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