Rooted Trading Co. opening this spring in site of historic Butner-McTyre General Store.
Revitalization of 160-year-old downtown building nears completion
The City of Powder Springs will welcome to its downtown in spring 2020 a new business that will operate inside what was once an antebellum general store.
Rooted Trading Co. on Jan. 9 was issued for its property at 4455 Marietta St. a certificate of occupancy, which signifies that the entirety of its structures complies with all local and federal building codes.
Slated for a late April opening, Rooted will offer grab-and-go foods and beverages, local merchandise and other goods for purchase. Services to be offered by the store will include rentals of bicycles and fishing gear, along with hunting excursions to tours of the city and the Silver Comet Trail.
“We’re pretty much keeping these buildings to their original purpose,” said Jake Hardy, Rooted’s store manager.
Rooted will operate in the property’s main building, which dates back to 1860 and was once the Butner-McTyre General Store. Documents filed with the National Register of Historic Places show that the property also previously served as the location of the House Family Blacksmith Shop and the Country Store of Seven Springs.
The “Rooted” name stems from the Hardy family’s desire to maintain the legacy of the “old country store” and its location in the center of downtown Historic Powder Springs, according to the business’ website.
Additions to the property include an outdoor bar-top area and deck that will provide visitors with a view of Marietta Street, while a shipping container bearing Rooted’s logo will provide storage of the rental bikes to be offered by the store. The property will also offer visitors parking space for their own bicycles, as well as parking and hookups for a food truck during special events.
Rooted will also offer space for local makers, artisans and businesses to showcase “their passions and goods,” according to the store’s website.
Two other buildings, which also date back to the 19th century, remain on the property. The Center Section, added in 1890 as storage for the Main Store, will continue to be used in the same way. Meanwhile, The Rear Portion, originally built in 1850 as a barn and blacksmith shop, will become home of Hardy Woodworks, a custom wood furniture and home decor outfit that began in 2015.
Work by Hardy and his family on the property focused on making only minimal modifications to the historic structures, with construction work consisting of needed repairs, structure stabilization, addition of insulation where feasible and improvements needed to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
Rooted is scheduled to be operating just ahead of the opening of Powder Springs’ new downtown park, with the business and its improved outdoor space aimed at attracting, among others, customers before or after playing at or enjoying events at the park, as well as cyclists in the area.
