Orange Parties in Refurbished Plaza ‘Living Room’
It was like a scene from the old “Andy Griffith Show,” but it wasn’t Mayberry, it was Orange, where about 500 gathered Saturday to rededicate the town’s historic plaza.
The daylong celebration featured bands and free sweets, and celebrated an eight-month preservation effort that gave the Old Towne Orange Plaza a face lift. The plaza now has freshly paved streets and new sidewalks. And the repaired vintage street clocks and Plaza Park fountain now work.
“It’s a great day in the community,” said Mayor Mark Murphy, standing next to a grandstand in the plaza’s small circular park. The cool January air rustled red, white and blue balloons, and carried the smell of fresh popcorn.
“We’re celebrating our heritage,” he added. “This is a community of generations, and the plaza is the heart of the city. . . . I can’t imagine how many pictures of family events have been taken here.”
The $2.1-million project did not dramatically change the plaza’s look. The city didn’t want to do that--there’s 130 years of history behind the plaza, and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It also periodically appears in movies, commercials and television shows.
“The signs of wear and tear have been removed,” Murphy said. “And all the historic elements have been preserved. Everything looks as it did in the 1930s and ‘40s.”
Residents seemed generally pleased with the results. The park has a cleaner look. It’s easier to cross streets. And now the fountain lights up at night.
“I like it,” said Julie Hanson, a 15-year resident. “It really does look lovely.”
But not everyone is happy. Some complain the sparkled concrete sidewalks that replaced red-brick pavers are blinding when the sun hits them. Others miss the brick planters that graced the four quadrants of the plaza. The city took those out to accommodate sidewalk dining at a couple of restaurants.
Hank’s Barber Shop owner Hank Mascolo--often referred to as “the honorary mayor of the downtown plaza”--said he fought to keep the brick walkways.
“I think the finished product is beautiful, but I miss the brick,” Mascolo said.
And some merchants are concerned about making up for lost revenue. The streets and sidewalks were torn up for months, making it difficult for shoppers to park.
“Business was down at least 40% during construction,” said Brian McBroom, owner of J&J; Antiques. “It was very disruptive for business, and it took way too long. . . . I could have had three of my cousins and myself come in, and we could have done a better job.”
He doesn’t like the concrete walkways either.
“There’s no character to concrete,” he said. “Aesthetically, I think it’s very unappealing.”
But the city’s restoration committee--made up of residents, historical society members, city officials and merchants--said consideration went into each decision, including the move to replace the brick. City officials said the concrete walkways are reminiscent of the 1930s.
“It truly was a restoration and preservation effort,” said Randy Bosch, a former planning commissioner and committee member. “It wasn’t our goal to tear things down and create something new. And we got rid of some things that never should have been here in the first place.”
The plaza’s beginnings date to the late 1800s, when the plaza was used primarily as a hitching and watering area for local ranchers and sheepherders. By 1887, the townsfolk raised $535 from bake sales and a play and turned the area into a park--complete with a fountain, which was replaced by an electric one in 1937.
A ceremony was held to mark that occasion as well, with 4-year-old Nancy Joy Shryock flipping the switch to start the new fountain. History repeated itself Saturday, when the same Nancy, now Nancy Hedrick, still living in Orange, turned on the fountain again.
City officials hope things can get back to normal downtown--with shoppers strolling in and out of shops, picnickers eating their lunches in the park, and business proceeding at a steady pace.
Said Bosch: “It’s good to have our living room back.”