By Roger Allen

     For the second week in a row, former-city council candidate Pat McCall held a community meeting at the Social Hall of the Guyton United Methodist Church on Friday, January 27th at 7 p.m. to talk about Greg Parker’s plans to build a convenience store and gas station across from Thompson’s IGA Market. In a letter to the editor in the January 12th Spirit, she claimed that there would be a destruction of this historic building if Greg Parker had his way. After doing some research, it became obvious this man is going to great lengths to ensure that nothing will be destroyed.

     Parker has hired John Deering, one of the most well respected historic preservation architects in the United States, to draw up plans to create an 1880’s type country store. He hired both structural engineers and building contractors to make sure his plan to move the house to the back of the lot would not cause the building any harm. Once set up in it’s new location, he will open up the inside by removing the ceilings up to the rafters with vaulted ceilings, and will add two side wings. Along with groceries and sundries, the store will sell homemade breakfast, lunch, and dinners. The service area in the front will sport 6 gas pumps.

     Known as the Old Wynn House, it is located on the corner of Highways 119 & 17. Owners Jina and Will Breazeale applied in 1999 for the rezoning of their property in order to start a business. In fact, it was then-Alderman Bill McCall (Pat’s husband) who proposed making the change from R-1 to C-2 for the Breazeale’s property. They first opened a gift shop (Jacob’s Attic) and then a teashop (Rosemary’s Rabbit). When their efforts never panned out, the property was not placed back in R-1 residential status, but rather left in the C-2 commercial classification.

     Many people are asking, just who is this Greg Parker? Starting out in 1976 in Midway, Parker has an ever-increasing number of gas station/convenience stores being built from Statesboro to Savannah and from Rincon to Richmond Hill. Born in 1953 in Collins, Ga., Greg and his wife Kelley have created a distinctive image through the use of imaginative lighting and landscaping outside their stores and an emphasis on cleanliness inside the stores. Their company has created a local brand that is expanding its stores across the region, and that is why his proposed Guyton location is so important.

     Frank Arden, an Effingham activist, spoke at the meeting of how the unconditional rezoning of this house with no legal prohibitions against building any commercial business was a mistake. He says it is definitely a wake up call for the people of Guyton to prepare for the community’s coming growth. The real issue here, he says, is the historic value of the building. The argument is not about selling wine or beer or putting up a dozen gas pumps, but rather where do you draw the line about altering such a historic building.

     This won’t be the first time a historic home has been moved from its original location. In fact, it was the McCall’s themselves who moved the old DeWitt House from behind the Pine Street Baptist Church to their farmland outside of town. The old Elkins House, built as the Archibald Guyton Baptist Assembly and located behind the New Providence Baptist Church, was torn down several years ago, and the land has not yet been built upon. The historic old Effingham County Bank building, which became a succession of pharmacies (including Sweat’s Pharmacy and Guyton Rexall Drugs), was completely gutted in 2002 and turned into a Subway restaurant downstairs and several apartments upstairs.

     Guyton’s Mayor and Council have called a town hall meeting on Wednesday night, February 1st at 7 p.m. at Guyton Elementary School. They promise to let the residents speak about their concerns and answer their questions. Someone at last Friday’s meeting suggested that this special meeting was being held on Wednesday because families would be at prayer services. Similar rumors have appeared about virtually every aspect of the planning of this convenience store. One thing is clear: Greg Parker has big plans for this corner lot in Guyton. All he asks is for the people of Guyton to come to the meeting with an open mind, and give him a chance to explain.