Once the ugly duckling metal façade is removed from the oldest, surviving Reconstruction-era storefront in downtown Danville, the restoration of its original cast iron façade can benefit from the City’s Façade Grant incentive while also taking advantage of 15-year Tax Abatement, UEZ Incentives and both federal/state historic tax credits. The Pace (AKA Boswell) Building was constructed in 1875 as one of the largest commercial blocks on Main Street.

A fluted square pilaster and a smooth round pilaster of the original storefront are still visible on the ground level.

According to Dan Pezzoni’s nomination for the Department of Interior, the building originally featured an “outstanding late nineteenth century cast iron façade with decorative quoining, window hoods, cornices, and a central arched signage panel above the parapet that read ‘Pace Building, Erected 1875’.”

The 1877 Beers Map identifies the owner as C.T. Pace, a Danville tobacconist. The 1886 Sanborn Map shows the property as containing shoe, furniture, grocery, clothing, and millinery stores. The property offered for sale contains four of the original five bays; the 5^th at 332 Main Street is covered by a C. 1945 Art Deco concrete façade and is leased by Virginia Bank & Trust to Woods Men’s Wear Ltd.

According to the Assessor’s Office, the 3-story section at 322 Main contains 7560 sq. ft. while the 3-story section at 336 contains 8050 sq. ft. The storefront at 328 contains 4400 sq. ft. There are one-story brick and concrete additions at the rear. The property had been owned and operated for decades as Wise-Hundley Furniture Company. City records show the street frontage at just under 70 feet. At 316 Main Street, Bronx Boys Bagels has restored an adjacent storefront and opened for business in July 2007.

 Priced at $349,000 and shown only by appointment.

Building as it originally appeared. 

Current photos show metal facade removed.  Feb. 28, 2008