Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Another Historic Town Square Building Gets New Lease on Life

The old brick building at the corner of Main and South Gaither streets on the Fulton town square has a new owner and houses new businesses.

Lily’s Café and J & T Company are two new businesses located in what is known as the old Gaither Building. Joshua Toomer first purchased this commercial lot on March 16, 1840 just two years after the town was established. Toomer ran a mercantile establishment on part of the lot.

During 1852 when Itawamba County’s second courthouse was built, the brick used in the construction of the Federal style building were fired on this lot by a Mr. Wright. The lot was later purchased by the Gaither family where the firm William Gaither and Sons operated a general store. It has been said the building was bricked when the Itawamba County Agricultural High School was being built below the town under the hill.

Lily’s Café features tasty homemade breads and sandwiches, soups, coffees and other beverages including fruit smoothies. Diners can enjoy their meal in an eclectic atmosphere of bright designs, retro furnishings while listening to and watching Delta blues music videos on the wall-mounted LCD television. J & T Company is an art gallery and antiques business that shares space with the café in the large brick structure that offers a wide variety of art, antiques and collectables.

The Itawamba Historical Society welcomes these new businesses to Fulton’s historic town square and applauds the owners’ efforts at restoring part of Fulton’s historic district.
 

No comments: