Restoration is coming to the building…and its name.
The People’s Bank Building or what has been – for the last half century – more commonly called “the old county office building” in downtown Waynesburg is receiving renewed life. The resuscitation of this historic structure is the result of one man’s vision and desire to preserve, appreciate and continue using such treasures constructed by our skilled craftsmen of yesteryear; though he doesn’t intend to remain the lone impetus behind the restoration of Greene County’s tallest and one of Waynesburg’s most recognizable landmarks.
“In a way, buildings like this belong to the people of their communities,” says Jason Miller, who purchased the property in March of this year. His prominent use of the building’s original name seems even more fitting as he openly invites input, comments and questions from area residents as well as their insight on future possibilities the restoration project will bring to the business district of downtown Waynesburg. He has even established a website, www.peoplesbankbuilding.com, dedicated to the restoration project, complete with blog features allowing interested parties to follow the progress of each step and submit their opinions, ideas and comments.
While he says the People’s Bank Building may be his most extensive endeavor so far, the business of building restoration is not entirely new to Jason Miller. He purchased and restored several buildings in Fort Worth, Texas, where he lived prior to relocating to Greene County last year for work in the oil and gas industry. Previously a contractor and home builder in Fort Worth, Jason found a way to satisfy the developer in himself – as well as his hunger for history – by restoring dilapidated buildings and filling them with viable new business.
“I believe in keeping the historic characteristics of my properties, and yet modernizing them for today’s uses,” he explains. “I work hard to maintain the integrity of the original design and construction methods while adding modern creature comforts so they offer a feasible, in fact desirable, alternative to newer office buildings.”
With much to be done to create that desirable environment in the People’s Bank Building in Waynesburg, one of the first steps Jason has taken is the repair/replacement of the windows – all 208 of them. Each pane is being pulled, cleaned, replaced where necessary, and reglazed; frames removed sanded, replaced and trim painted. The entire front of the building now sports the new windows and has already changed what many considered an eyesore into a glimpse of the building’s promising future. Thousands of square feet of solid marble floors have been cleared of the decades of debris and trash that has collected since the county offices were moved in 1989. A gloriously hand-painted victorian ceiling, long hidden by three false ceilings has been exposed. The historic (and still functioning) Otis Elevators have been emptied of the mounds of junk collected there over the years…the exterior has been denuded of the voracious vines…and many other efforts are continuing to clean and restore this historic structure that has stood mostly vacant for the last thirty years.
Close-up photos of the ceiling and much more can be found on the web site, along with regular updates on each phase of the project. One can also find a growing collection of old pictures and articles relating to the People’s Bank Building on the site, something Jason heartily welcomes. “I’m looking for photos from any era, or other memorabilia about the building. I have plans to decorate the foyer with many such items,” he explains. You can contact Jason easily by logging on to www.peoplesbankbuilding.com and submitting your comments or questions. And of course, as he says, “the best support a developer can have is people wishing to move their businesses into the building. I’d like to customize the first floor to accommodate a restaurant or eatery of some type, and there are spaces we can design for any variety of uses. If you or anyone you know is a prospective tenant please contact me.”
Sidebar
Brief History of the People’s Bank Building
Compiled by Jason Miller
The Waynesburg People’s National Bank was founded in 1897 and at another location. The lot the building was located on was the old Sherman Hotel which was purchased for the sum of $23,000 and torn down for the construction of the Peoples Bank Building.
The building was touted as the tallest and most impressive building in Greene County and had two Otis Elevators (Which will remain functioning in the building but not for public use). The Grand Opening of the Peoples Bank Building was August 10th 1907.
After the bank closed the building was purchased and used as the County Building from 1952 through 1989. After the county moved out the building began its decline.
Note: The book “More Fact and Folklore” a collection of writings by John L. O’Hara contains a chapter titled Waynesburg’s Skyscraper” written in February 1973, detailing much of the history of the People’s Bank Building and its occupants over the years. This article also appears on Jason’s website.
