The wait is over

The Limestone College chorus performs on the front steps of the Winnie Davis Hall of History. The college held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday on a $4 million project to restore the building, which has been closed since 1977. After 30 years of waiting, Limestone College is finally ready to restore the Winnie Davis Hall of History.

The college held a ceremonial groundbreaking Friday for a $4 million renovation project to transform the 104- year-old building into a multimedia academic classroom facility and museum area for Southern history exhibits.

The restoration project comes after the college closed the building in 1977 because of safety concerns.

Limestone College launched a multimillion dollar capital campaign in January to restore the structure.

Limestone College President Dr. Walt Griffin announced Friday that the college has raised enough money to start the project.

Bids will be opened this week. A contractor will be selected after the bids are reviewed by the board of trustees. The renovation work is expected to start later this spring. The project is expected to be completed by December 2009.

Winnie Davis will be renovated to include six wireless multimedia classrooms, three museum areas, faculty offices and a new kitchen area for catering meetings and receptions. A separate tower will be added on the west side of the structure for an elevator and restroom facilities necessary to meet building code requirements.

Often called the crown jewel of the campus, Winnie Davis was built in 1904 by president Dr. Lee Davis Lodge to serve as a center for Southern history and literature.

The building is named for the daughter of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Varina Howell Davis.

More than 200 people attended the groundbreaking.

"This is the day that the Grand Old Lady has waited on for 30 years," Griffin said. "The time has come to complete this restoration project and re-establish Winnie Davis as a center for academic excellence and Southern history."

Martin Meek of Campbell Meek and Associates Architects, Inc. is the lead architect for the project. Meek is highly regarded for his restoration work on historic buildings in South Carolina, including the Westin Poinsett in Greenville and the Inn on Main in Spartanburg.

Limestone College plans to hold a ceremony to rededicate Winnie Davis Hall of History when the project is complete.

Class of 1955 alumnae Pat Plyer Watts and Patricia Williams Willis co-chaired the capital campaign to restore the building. Honorary chairman Gaylord Perry, a Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, helped raised the funds in 1987 to repair the roof and seal the building's exterior until it could be restored.

"I think this is the best time I ever had at Limestone, including graduation," said Watts, speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony. "As I touched the building today, I thought what I could say to you and decided, 'It's as if she's a sleeping beauty who will receive a kiss and soon wake up.'"