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Remodeling at the Cubanola Downtown South Boston, Virginia An old building gets a new life The Cubanola at 419 has been known by other names throughout the years, J.C. Howlett's Piano and Appliance and the Law Building being the the most recent. The building, which has been vacant for several months, is undergoing an exciting remodeling on both levels. The building is a historically contributing building located in Downtown South Boston's historic district, which is named on the US Department of the Interior's National Register of Historic Places.
Adaptive reuse in a nutshell It is my hope others will see that our old downtown spaces can be remodeled in such a way that the historic character can be maintained while designing the space for a variety of traditional and modern uses. We need to realize that once the spaces have been defaced or demolished, they are gone forever. South Boston has a limited but maintainable stock of historic buildings and structures, and by remodeling them and adaptively reusing them, we can give new life to older spaces. The collective efforts of remodeling and using the empty storefronts and upstairs spaces will have a revitalizing effect for our downtown. The effects of a vibrant downtown South Boston will be felt all throughout the community.Financing by Suntrust and the Town of South Boston Enterprise Zone Loan Program.
For more information on historic preservation, visit the following links. Town of South Boston, VirginiaDestination Downtown South Boston Virginia Main Street Program Virginia Department of Historic Resources Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (ACORN) National Main Street Center National Trust for Historic Preservation VCU Urban Studies and Planning
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The Interior Department's report on the town's historic district lists the building as being asymmetrical,
historically contributing, and built circa 1910's in the Vernacular style. It has two floors, each with
approximately 2000 square feet of floor area. The downstairs space will host a muti-purpose studio space,
and the primary use will be dance instruction. The upstairs remodeling commenced in December of 2001 and
is designed to accomodate office, studio, or residential use.