Written by MARTY M. HOHMANN    |    Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY

Doug Frost was on the lookout for a new restoration project.

His initial thoughts were to try to locate an old church that could be restored and used as a multi-disciplinary arts venue. He heard through the grapevine that one was possibly available in Grantville, but everyone told him, “Don’t go to Grantville.”

Those naysayers clearly couldn’t see what Frost could.

It has been said that Grantville is a hidden jewel, but for those with a vision, it’s a jewel in plain sight.

Rather than purchasing a church, Frost purchased an entire city block, plus some.

That was in January 2021. Today, he and his business partner and restoration guru, Ron Kirk, are well on their way to making Grantville a major destination spot.

Project No. 1 was opening up The Bricks on Church Street, a special events, music and arts venue in the old Merchants and Farmers Bank Building and the adjacent ruins of the old cotton warehouse. The exterior walls of the warehouse were featured prominently in “The Walking Dead,” proclaiming in writing: “Away with You.”

Those walls continue to draw visitors, but they now have reason to linger, thanks to Frost and Kirk. Inside is a musician’s dream venue with a covered deck, lighting, a grassy courtyard for listeners, and a bar inside. In addition to hosting musicians, the venue has welcomed a world-class art show and other special events.

But this is only the beginning.

“I’m trying to build a little Asheville,” says Frost, who sold his Newnan home and moved into an upstairs loft apartment to invest his time and money fully in his Grantville vision.

Together, he and Kirk make a formidable team with years of restoration experience and a deep love and appreciation for all things historic.

“Look at these floors,” says Kirk. “They’re original. And the wavy glass in the windows.”

Any wood that can be salvaged from the classic architectural structures is being put aside for reuse.

Kirk is currently waist deep in rebuilding the floors in a space that eventually will be occupied by Percolate, a coffee shop with a location already in SummerGrove in Newnan.

Also on board as a new downtown businessman is Jeff Corbett, owner and chef of Macromeals. Corbett uses the professional kitchen facilities at The Bricks on Church Street to prepare specific meals supporting a healthy lifestyle. A personal trainer and health coach, he develops meal plans with clients and prepares restaurant-quality meals that he delivers to client homes throughout West Georgia.

Frost and Kirk envision a fusion of businesses in downtown Grantville that partner with one another so that all benefit from each other’s expertise.

“We’re developing a lifestyle,” says Frost. “It’s sort of organically taking on a life of its own.”

Layering is the key, they explain.

Frost – who was a hair stylist by trade – knows a lot about layering, and he’s working with businesses that will flow seamlessly into the vision, which honors the history of the city while breathing new life into its stately old structures.

The duo’s hope is to see the sidewalks filled with visitors, stopping off at a café for a glass of wine and listening to jazz under the stars.

“People are very excited,” says Frost. “They see it. Everybody wants to be included here. It takes an army, not just one person. We build it together. You’ve got to have the right dream.”

Another layer already onboard is Mud Haven Pottery Studio, owned by Jessica Norris and AJ Sears. They sell their pottery at The Hug Box in Newnan and, quite by chance, met Frost there. They realized quickly they would be another piece to the downtown puzzle, and they opened their studio last year at 16A Main Street in a historic building constructed in the 1800s. Their mud-lover’s playground features a teaching studio offering workshops, private classes, memberships and parties.

 “When you come here and experience us, it spreads,” says Frost. NCM