The first line of my recent press release about the Golden Rule said,” The Future of the Golden Rule is in Sight”. That was amazing to write and is exciting to watch. So if you have been following me long you know about the wonderful building the company I work for is the process of redeveloping. If you are new here, let me take a moment to explain just a bit about the Golden Rule.

I work for a housing and community developer called, Woodlands Development Group, who in the spring of 2018 bought a historic 3 story brick furniture store warehouse-type building in the small town of Belington, WV. The Golden Rule building was built in 1903 and was owned by the Shinn family until the late 1980s and was sold to a man who used it for storage. Left to decay the community of Belington wanted to save the building and its history. Woodlands Development Group got involved and bought the building with grant funds from the second owner and arranged the financing of over 3 million dollars to redevelop the Golden Rule into a mixed-use building. The plan includes 10 apartments on the top two floors and a cafe and retail space on the first floor. I have been working on the building in several different capacities for two years and am now working on business development and marketing for the building’s future. She is my greatest work joy and I hope to be part of her future for many years to come. This is my home away from home!

JoLynn Powers working at the Golden Rule.

So my portion of the project finished just a few weeks ago. The building was finally empty after around 4, sixty-yard dumpsters and around 13,000 pounds of trash removal. We found storage for the truckloads of antiques that were not sold at several events so they can be used as decor for the first floor in the future. We (my AmeriCorps volunteers and I ) demolished hundreds of feet of shelves, flooring, ceiling tile and drywall. So construction contractors can turn the building around.

I finished my contract year with the knowledge that my work was not done but going to be different this year. So now I get to sit back and watch others build a brighter future for this building.

So far crews have cut huge wholes in the three floors for the elevator shaft and fire escape stairwell. They have excavated into the basement to remove dirt and rubble to get ready to pour new stairwell landing pads.

 Crews get the dirt out of the basement of the Golden Rule.

They have begun the framing of the walls inside each apartment and have had time to remove the breezeway that lead to the storage shed. These are before and after photos. You couldn’t see the breezeway from the back due to all the brush and trees.

The Americorps crews that helped me clean out the upper stories are back working on clearing out the basement and rafters of the third floor this spring. They are working to get the building ready for roofing contractors, and the electrical contractors.

It is only a few weeks into construction but changes are visible and teams of more people are working together to get things done. I am excited and so hopeful for the people who get to live and work in this building. I know Tom and I have our own plans to be part of the retail space in the near future, so I hope my involvement continues even after the Golden Rule reopens. This year I am happy to be helping in the development of the businesses, the build-out of the retail space and who knows what else to make sure this project gets off the ground running. 

If you want to see more about the Golden Rule and the first steps in our process of redevelopment you can click here Golden Rule #1. There are many other posts about this and my AmeriCorps service that shares my love for this building and what I get to do for a living. 

Categories: About me, AmeriCorps, Barbour County, Belington, WV, Golden Rule, historic locations, Historic Preservation, Redevelopment projects, rural life, West Virginia History, Woodlands Development Group Tags: Belington, construction, Golden Rule, Historic, Historic Preservation, history, Redevelopment, West Virginia, Woodlands Development Group

Belington’s Fall Festival Theme, “Celebrating Our Successes” highlights the positive change that the community has achieved over the last ten years with food, music, events, and a parade down Main Street. The Belington Revitalization Committee and Belington On-Trac, with the help of many community partners, highlighted the projects and redevelopment efforts that have taken place in the downtown. They also used this time to share information about where the town is going in the future.

Golden Rule Building during redevelopment along Main Street in Belington, WV.
Terri Kittle, Chief Financial Officer for Freedom Bank and Treasurer for the Belington Revitalization Committee, helped to plan the annual event with the theme “Celebrating our Successes”. Terri stated, “I want the event to show the community what has been accomplished, and where we are going in the future.” The Belington Revitalization Committee, the City of Belington, the Barbour County Development Authority, and Woodlands Development Group have worked together to develop a community walking trail along the river, started the rehabilitation of The Golden Rule building, a prominent downtown building. They have added new playground equipment to the City Park, added new workout stations to the walking trail, and an outdoor stage space for entertainment and events. Each step in this journey has brought more opportunities for everyone in the community and more reasons to love where we live.


Event Banner

Exercise station along the Belington walking trail.

The stage at the Town Square in downtown Belington.

Sidewalk chalk artwork was done during the 2019 Fall Festival.

A young visitor to the Fall Festival with her friend Diego the iguana.

Katie Wolpert volunteers to help children create sidewalk art at the Fall Festival.
With the help of many community volunteers the ”Celebrate Our Successes” events brought the community together for low cost or free activities. Visitors could shop for gifts at the craft sale, enjoy a hometown parade or rest under a tent to watch local musicians play. Children could add to sidewalk chalk drawings, laugh and play in bouncy houses, eat cotton candy and hot dogs. Everyone enjoyed a fun and successful event with large turnouts.

Bouncy houses ready for children in downtown Belington.
After the two days of celebrations, the people of Belington are now more aware of the work that groups like Belington On-Trac, The Belington Revitalization Committee, Woodlands Development Group, The Barbour County Development Authority other non-profits are doing in the area and how we are all working together to make Belington a better place.

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Categories: Belington, WV, Community Art, Fairs and Festivals, Fall, Fall Festival, family fun, Golden Rule Tags: Barbour County, Belington, fall, Fall Festival, family fun, Golden Rule, West Virginia