College ready to break ground on highly anticipated project
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

Here's how the renovated Winnie Davis Hall will look.

Limestone College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony April 18 at 2 p.m. for a $4 million renovation project at Winnie Davis Hall of History.

Limestone College began a capital campaign in January to restore the structure. The building fell into disrepair and was closed by the college for safety reasons in 1977.

The college is less than $100,000 away from completing fundraising for the project, president Dr. Walt Griffin said. College officials have made presentations for potential donors at private residences and clubs in Gaffney, Lancaster, Columbia and Charleston over the past year.

Limestone College is in the final stages of selecting a contractor for the project, which will take between 12 and 18 months to complete.

"This is a beautiful building. There is a lot of historic and practical value in the plans to renovate Winnie Davis," Griffin said. "This project will meet a need for more classroom space at Limestone College. I fully expect some construction work to start this spring."

Martin Meek of Campbell Meek and Associates Architects, Inc. is the lead architect for the project. Meek is renowned for his preservation work on historic buildings.

The proposed renovations would result in six wireless multimedia classrooms for history and honors courses, three museums and galleries and several faculty offices.

The museum galleries will focus primarily on Southern history exhibits.

A separate tower will be added on the west side of Winnie Davis to contain an elevator and restroom facilities necessary to meet building code requirements. A kitchen area will be added for catering meetings and receptions.

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

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

Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry helped raise funds in 1987 to repair the roof and seal the exterior of the building to protect it from further damage until it could be restored.