A $1.2 million restoration project aims to transform a former Whitleyville schoolhouse into a country general store, gas station and roadside diner.
Rockwell’s Gas and Mercantile’s Ryan Green said the project will revive the 1949 building, which previously served as a school and community center. Green said a crowdfunding campaign has raised approximately half of the project’s funding goal.
“So we could have gone to a bank and gone kind of a more traditional route,” Green said, “But we felt it was a project that we wanted, you know, everyday Americans to be able to participate in.”
Green said the restoration is intended to address a shortage of nearby shopping options in Whitleyville, where he estimates residents must travel approximately 15 minutes in either direction to find gasoline or groceries. He said the business will also feature an old-fashioned American roadside diner.
Green said the building has served as a volunteer fire station but is not currently functional for the proposed business. He said the underlying structure remains sound despite needing window replacements, roofing repairs and upgrades to its plumbing, electrical and heating systems.
Beyond providing retail services, Green said the owners envision a community gathering place hosting vintage car shows, pumpkin patches, Pinewood Derby races and other activities.
Green said preserving the original building was central to the project because Whitleyville has lost much of the business activity that once defined the community. He said restoring a structure with longstanding local connections offers an opportunity to preserve that history while creating something useful for current residents.
Green said the mercantile will also include a small history museum featuring artifacts connected to Whitleyville. He said former property owner Judge Steve Cassidy has offered historical items for display and helped the developers learn more about the building’s past.
Green said former students and residents who attended gatherings at the old community center have already contacted the owners to share memories of the property.
“And you know we’ve had people reach out and say, you know, I used to go to school there or I used to go there for the cookouts when it was a community center,” Green said. “So it it means a lot to them and you know that’s certainly our aim.”
Green said contracts have been signed with an architect, general contractor and gas station contractor. The development team is awaiting engineering work before finalizing the design.
Green said the owners are targeting a summer 2027 opening while continuing to raise the remaining project funds.
Green said the company hopes to establish additional locations in the future, but each would reflect the distinct history and character of its community rather than follow a standardized design.