How design supports economic growth in Glouster, OH & other towns:
How We Got Here:
In towns like Glouster, Ohio, many buildings stand as quiet reminders of a more prosperous past. Once anchored by the coal industry, Glouster thrived on the labor and commerce that filled its downtown storefronts and community halls. As coal declined and jobs disappeared, so did the funding and foot traffic that kept these buildings alive. Over time, storefronts disappeared, and maintenance got pushed to a later date, which moved once-proud structures into long-term vacancy. Without resources for full-scale redevelopment, many of these buildings slipped into decay or permanent neglect.
It isn’t uncommon for a structure to sit vacant until it has structural issues beyond repair. Once the building reaches this point, it’s either too late to save it, or more cost effective to demolish and rebuild. This cycle of destruction causes cities that were once historically rich to become a patchwork of buildings interrupted by empty spaces where other businesses once stood. This is a common predicament across Southern Ohio, and many other places across the United States.
It may seem like the obvious answer is to renovate an aging building before it’s too late, but making the decision to renovate or demolish it is rarely simple. It requires weighing historical value against practical realities (including budget, timeline, and future use). In many small towns, where funding is limited and immediate needs are pressing, demolition is typically the most straightforward path. Renovation, on the other hand, involves many unknown factors: hidden structural issues, outdated (irreplaceable) materials, or the need to meet modern code standards inside a historic space. While adaptive reuse may demand more time and planning upfront, it often delivers a long-term value that new construction cannot. Reusing a building preserves embodied energy, reduces material costs, and sidesteps the permitting and infrastructure challenges that come with new construction. These benefits come in addition to the long-term value that renovation brings to historic preservation and cohesive city planning.
Additional Benefits of Adaptive Reuse:
- Boosts Local Economy:
- Can create jobs and attract investment
- Example: This project will have both business and office areas, which will provide additional jobs to Glouster once filled. We’re also noticing that nearby building owners are updating and investing more into their own buildings after construction began on 93 N High Street.
- Emphasizes Sustainability:
- Roughly 40% of a building’s lifetime energy is “embodied” in its construction materials
- About 80% of these materials can be typically be reused in a renovation project
- Demolition of a structure wastes initial investments and adds additional unnecessary carbon emissions (through demolition and new construction)
- In practice, Adaptive Reuse avoids landfill waste and cuts carbon emissions.
- Roughly 40% of a building’s lifetime energy is “embodied” in its construction materials
- Preserves Cultural Heritage:
- Old structures embody local history and identity that can never be replaced. In rural Appalachian communities, architecture is a physical reminder of a community’s memory.
- This sentiment from expatalachian’s Nick Musgrave is a great explanation, “Much of Appalachia’s built environment conveys the wealth, population, and future hopes of the region’s heyday. If lost, the buildings that dominate the urban skylines and symbolize smaller townscapes will never be rebuilt. If the original use of these structures is obsolete, we must strive to find creative ways to fill their halls and give them new purposes. Whether it is a downtown office block or a rural church, once Appalachia loses its buildings, they are unlikely to be replaced.“
- Strengthens Community Life:
- It’s common for a repurposed building to become a hub of activity. For example, 93 N High Street is currently set to have a business, offices, and apartments throughout the building. Other than use of the building’s facilities, adaptive reuse projects also strengthen community life by encouraging additional improvements and connection to happen.
- Example: Nelsonville School Commons in Nelsonville, OH renovated the Historic High School into 33 units of housing; creating physical community through adaptive reuse.
Preserving the Past, Preparing for the Future:
BDT was selected by HAPCAP as the Architectural Firm to lead the renovation project at 93 N High Glouster, OH. This project consists of a full top-to-bottom renovation of the interior, and general improvements to the exterior of the building. At the conception of the project, our Lead Designer and Project Manager Eric Smith did his research. Through historic photographs and archived catalogs, Mr. Smith discovered that the building existed in at least 1907. We also found a Mesker Bros. catalog from the late 1800s that contains full façade designs and individual ornamental pieces that could be ordered for the front of a building. Inside this catalog, Mr. Smith found what we think is most likely the original starting point for the building’s façade (pictured).
After a full period of research, Mr. Smith got to work on designing a new space that fits into a 125+ year old structure. Before any meaningful renovation could begin, it was necessary to complete a full internal demolition. There were also two additions (storefront and back bank vault) that needed to be removed. After the removal of the bank vault, construction crews worked to infill the existing brick with newer brick to create a cohesive, flat exterior. Photos below show the building’s interior prior to demo & after.
93 N High is still currently under construction and is set to be finished Summer 2026.
Interior Before Renovation:
Interior During Construction:
