By SCOTT BAUGHMANLedger Staff Writerscottb@gaffneyledger.com

It's been said the key to real estate success is location, location, location.

That old adage may prove true even for the Michael Gaffney cabin, which is still waiting to be reconstructed somewhere in the city named for its owner.

"This is pretty much the same request that we've had before you all along," said Gayle White, who addressed the City of Gaffney Building and Grounds committee on behalf of the bicentennial commission.

"We want to see the cabin used as a community meeting space for events like the art show that was recently held in uptown. Our commission wants the cabin to be located in the green space across from the fire department where the gazebo is now."

At present, the building exists only as a collection of some 30 or more original logs reclaimed and stored at the home of Anthony Hopper.

"If you really, truly care about uptown, and I hope you do, then you can see this is where the cabin should go," White pleaded with the committee.

"If it comes down to it, I'll buy the land for it myself. This would be no cost to the city council at all. The commission is prepared to pay for it and the rest of the commission members are all proponents of this plan. We want to leave this as a legacy."

Gaffney Mayor Henry Jolly replied, "Gayle, first let me say that you are obviously very enthusiastic and passionate about what you're doing and I appreciate that. But let me also remind you that the commission was formed by the City of Gaffney and you served at the pleasure of the city. Cherokee County Council and the city council unanimously agreed to move the cabin up to CHAPS. Now, I know Jane Waters has said that no one contacted her about this, but I as the mayor did call her. I'm not wedded to one location idea or the other, but personally I see it going to the CHAPS museum as a kind of one-stop shop. Now, if the county will deed that land to the city, then the bicentennial commission can rebuild it there per approval of the city council."

City administrator James Taylor commented, "I would suggest that we offer the county a lot down behind their building on Rosemond Lane in exchange for this lot on Limestone Street. That might make the deal more palatable."

But Jolly was reticent. "I respectfully disagree. I think the county can give us this land and I think they ought to for this project."

Smith agreed with the mayor, and added, "The county council has told Mr. Hopper and others that they can donate this land to us and they see this as a city matter. Let's operate under that assumption before we decide to do negotiations."

Councilman Johnny Little made a motion to rebuild the Michael Gaffney cabin on Limestone Street in uptown and to have the city of Gaffney ask Cherokee County to donate the land for construction.

It passed unanimously.