A new mural in downtown Gainesboro is serving as more than just artwork, as it is part of a broader effort to bring new life and energy back to the square.
The mural features an eight-foot-wide circular logo for Wasioto Restoration and is painted on the side of what is now The Board Room Restaurant on Main Street. The company is currently undertaking multiple redevelopment efforts along Main Street as part of what it calls the Gainesboro Project. Wasioto Restoration President Mark Stengel said the mural goes beyond aesthetics, serving as a symbol of the company’s commitment to carrying out several restoration and development projects.
“So we’re just basically trying to make a little excitement about the fact that we’re renovating several buildings at once and trying to bring a sort of a new spirit of energy back into town square in Gainesboro, so it was fitting to put the Wasioto logo on the side,” Stengel said.
Stengel said along with the Board Roomv Restaurant, Wasitoto Restoration is converting an adjacent building into the Upper Cumberland Adventure Center, renovating the Old Shamrock Hotel to become the Cordell Hotel. While there is growing excitement, Stengel said delivering on those plans is the priority.
“My biggest caution has been to avoid, you know, which is kind of a tired cliche, I don’t want to be all hat and no cowboy,” Stengel said. “I want to make sure that what we say we’re going to do comes to fruition.”
Stengel said construction on the Old Shamrock Hotel is expected to begin in late April.
“We’ve taken the planning process for getting the hotel started, taking that very seriously, probably about 13, 14 months of planning,” Stengel said. “And we will start on the hotel project at the end of April. That will take 10 months, and we’ll be open in the spring of 2027.”
Stengel said he is in the process of getting the adventure center activated. Stengel said the Gainesboro project is also about restoring a sense of history and pride in the community.
“In its heyday, Gainesboro was known as the busiest town in the state because of the riverboat traffic that came in and out of the area,” Stengel said. “So, just to give a little bit of vigor back to the town. I can’t tell you how gratifying it is, and I feel like we’re going to be able to pull it off.”