The 2017 Design Award goes to: Smith-Wright !!

Main Street Murfreesboro held its annual meeting and awards’ banquet on February 28, 2017.  Farrar | Wright received the distinguished Design Award.  The Design Award is an award that is given in years where the Main Street board sees a remarkable commitment investing in the aesthetic of our downtown.

Here are some of the remarks from the meeting:

“Now it only took about three years of renting space around the square for Amy Farrar and Sonya Wright to make the judgment that downtown Murfreesboro was the place to make a permanent home, and they cemented this conclusion by purchasing a building at 122 North Church Street in the fall of 2015. To give you a little background on the building they chose, according to Bill Jakes it was built around 1850, 9 years before the current Historic Courthouse.  It first operated as a grain mill, then its second owner did use part of building for a law practice.  The building went on to be many things, including a fruit stand, tailor shop, barbershop, jewelry store, and finance business, café.  There were some renovations in 1981, when the building was to be leased to lawyers. The aluminum siding was removed, bricks cleaned, and a false top was added to fit in with surrounding structures.  Then came Amy and Sonya who first approached Main Street in September 2015 with an earnest desire to have their renovation honor this storied building’s past while lifting it up to be a true asset to our downtown. Kathleen and I activated our Design Committee, AKA Bill Jakes, for the very purpose it was intended, and after reviewing designs and historical photographs and talking about different materials and styles of the era, I think Amy and Sonya left the meeting with both confirmation and nuanced enhancements to their game plan.  This extensive renovation included replacing the roof, tearing out old floors, and removing 4-5 layers of wall to get down to the original brick.  From that shell, they rebuilt a brand new Class A office space carefully designed to contain elements that would have been original to the 19th century building. They included transoms, replica hardware, wooden tongue and groove ceilings, hand made stained glass conference room windows, and a solid walnut front door.  The firm also has a unique backyard green space, which they occasionally use for parties and social gatherings. Smith-Wright opened the doors of their newly renovated building Jan. 6, 2016, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to have a tour!

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