Todd Building ready for facelift

The city of Dunkirk is making strides at revitalizing the downtown, attempting to attract some new businesses and bring some hope back into the community, and one way they plan to do that is by restoring the historic Todd Opera House building on Main Street.
The Dunkirk Investment Group, which includes community leaders like Rock Fuqua, Chuck Huffman, and Dru Hall has been steadily working at creating ideas to develop and restore the downtown. Recently, the group, alongside a façade program committee has decided to have Stanley Garrison of Stanley Garrison Woodworking come in and historically revamp the four storefronts on the Todd building.
Garrison has loads of experience working with old buildings and developing them so they are both pleasing to the eye and for the most part, historically accurate.
Some of his previous works include, designing and working on the Indiana State Capitol Building in 1988, working on The Cabildo French Quarter in New Orleans, and writing the specifications for the Texas State Capitol Building. “It’s fun designing things where all the pieces just fit together,” Garrison said. “You can appreciate the artistry in historical work.” He also noted though that with old buildings, historic resemblance is important but that there are often some changes from an engineering aspect. For the Todd build-ing, the glass windows will be thicker than usual.
According to “Dorothy’s Dunkirk” written by the late Dorothy Current Bolinger, the Todd Opera House was built in 1893. It hosted many different shows during its time from the famous singer Nordica to high school and amateur plays put on by people in the town. It even held the first ever Dunkirk High School graduation ceremony in 1895.
The building also held various businesses over the course of time ranging from tailor shops to a teen shop and even a place called Todd’s store. The strip of stores was always referred to as the Todd Block.
Garrison, a Muncie native and Ball State University graduate began woodworking in 1968 and now suffers from Histoplasmosis, a disease that obstructs the eyesight. He now concentrates more on smaller woodworking, like furniture, but he couldn’t say no to coming to work in Dunkirk. “Rock Fuqua talked me into it and I couldn’t say no,” he said. Garrison’s work on the Todd building storefronts will include custom made doors and fittings.
Fuqua said the work on the building is starting right away, even happening this week. The engineering is finished and the glass and lumber is ordered. “ The building is the centerpiece of Dunkirk,” Fuqua said. His hope is that people will see the changes happening in Dunkirk and gain hope in Dunkirk’s potential.[[In-content Ad]]