14 Mar 2014
Moving Walls to Save a Ghost Sign
In an effort to save this fading and rusting shop front, Beth and Tony Walls moved the entire building 150ft to allow for a highway widening project. Martin Garfinkel of Roadside Gallery has captured it beautifully in this fine art print, available to buy here. Martin tells the story as follows.
RE Ringer General Merchandise, Carrollton, GA
SAVED BY PEOPLE WHO CARE! Yes, this marvelous RE Ringer General Store was recently saved by Beth and Tony Walls. Kudos to them!
This is a Fine Art photo of the ‘R. E. Ringer General Merchandise Store’ store which is located in Carrollton, Georgia. This relic from the past really should be on some historic registry in Georgia, but it is not. Sadly, that is why so many wonderful old places are left unprotected for vandals and the weather to destroy, eventually they fall into decay and ruin.
But to Beth and Tony Walls, this was not going to happen to the ‘R.E. Ringer General Merchandise Store,’ if they had anything to do about it. This great old building was definitely standing ‘in the ready’ for the wrecking ball, because of a highway widening project. So the Walls, did what any decent person would do, they bought the property and building.
It took weeks of preparation to move the building back 150 feet to bide by the new highway improvement code. When moving day came, it took only 20 minutes to move the “R.E. Ringer General Merchandise Store” back that 150 feet. Now the Ball’s new goal is a complete restoration of the old general store, however, they need to start with the basics, like a new foundation and floor. Bravo to the Balls for Bravery in saving our past!
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