Chelsea mayor announces plan to preserve Weldon Building façade

After more than 100 years, the Weldon Building in Chelsea is going to come down. But it won’t be gone forever.

During the Jan. 17 Chelsea City Council meeting, Mayor Tony Picklesimer announced plans to dismantle the building, salvage and preserve whatever materials possible and store those items with the plan to construct a pavilion, called Weldon Pavilion, in the building's likeness at the city’s new sports complex on County Road 11.

“My desire has been all along to honor the history of this building, and I am so grateful that this council chose to support me in a way to honor the history of this building,” Picklesimer said.

The red front doors on the building, the store’s windows and its planks will be salvaged and stored for future construction of Weldon Pavilion. The pavilion will be built on the lake as a part of phase two of the Chelsea Sports Complex, Picklesimer said, and it will include a small hallway with restrooms on each side as well as an open area with a grilling pavilion, parking and a walking trail connecting the first and second phase of the athletic complex.

Picklesimer recognized Chelsea resident Judy Isbell Galamore, the granddaughter of the Weldon store’s original owner, for her work in getting the building preserved.

“I think it is very special whenever a citizen in our city takes on a project that affects all of us, so I would like to tonight congratulate and thank Ms. Judy Galamore for her efforts to find some use for this building,” Picklesimer said. “She has worked diligently. She has got a petition with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of names on it. That building means more to her maybe than anyone else in this room.”

While she had hoped for the building to remain in its original location and to be wholly preserved, Galamore said she is satisfied with the plan for Weldon Pavilion.

“I’m OK with the compromise because it will still be used, and the history will remain,” Galamore said. “I hate that it’s way over there, but I think it’s a good compromise. And I can’t wait to see it when it happens, but I’ll cry when it’s coming down.”

After speaking with some of her immediate relatives, Galamore said they also think the project is a good compromise in preserving the store. The store was recently recognized as a historical site in Alabama by the Alabama Historical Commission, and Galamore said she is glad that information will be displayed once the pavilion is constructed. She also plans to work on national recognition for the site.

Picklesimer met with Galamore prior to the meeting, to discuss plans with her and get an initial reaction.

“She was excited and I was excited that she was,” Picklesimer said. “She has done so much, and having her blessing was a big thing to me.”

To get plans into motion, the council approved a resolution allowing Picklesimer to sign a contract with Clements Dean Building Company for the project.

The official resolution states that following the removal and dismantling of the building, the front of the building will be restored for future use, and additional lumber and windows will be used “by the city to recognize the historical significance of Weldon’s Store.” The cost for the project is $24,562, according to the resolution.

“I’m excited to finally get this project underway,” Picklesimer said. “It’s been something we’ve been thinking about and talking about for a long time.”

Also during the council meeting:

• Picklesimer announced that CSX Railroad will clear trees along County Road 47 starting in front of the computer repair store and continuing around the bend leading toward the intersection of CR 47 and 39. The tree clearing will create a clear sight path for the road, and the work will be done at the cost of CSX.
• Picklesimer held up a packet which showed all of the new home building permits, as well as seven other permits. These permits were requested in the month of January, and the sheer number of them was indicative of how much the city is growing, Picklesimer said.
• The council approved a resolution to authorize Picklesimer to sign a contract with Kellis Vegetation Management Inc. for maintenance on Chelsea’s sports fields. This contract was necessary, Picklesimer said, so that the city could maintain its now 13 athletic fields. After weighing the option between contracting out maintenance or hiring new city personnel and purchasing the chemicals necessary for the job, Picklesimer said he and the council decided the contract was the better choice for the city.
• The council approved to pay the city’s bills.
• The council approved an ordinance for the annexation of a 9-acre property owned by First United Security Bank on Old Highway 280. The fact that this land is commercial property benefits the city, said council member Scott Weygand. “This will be instant new revenue for the city on the sales tax base, and I’m very excited to grow our commercial base,” Weygand said.