Entrepreneur and preservationist Joshua Wilks sees restoring this "corner building" in downtown Milton as important to growth that respects the town's historic past. Photo credit: Joshua Wilks

A 103-year-old corner of downtown Milton is getting new life thanks to a local preservationist who thinks such historic assets are worth saving.

In July, Bagdad native Joshua Wilks bought what he calls the "corner building" – located on the banks of the Blackwater River at the intersection of Berryhill and Willing streets – and has worked this week to restore the downstairs portion to its original condition.

That restoration opens the way for the old building to host new small businesses, which are an important economic engine for communities. Entrepreneurship is an important piece of economic development and helps improve the quality of life in a community.

Wilks’ renovation comes at a time when downtown Milton is facing several issues that some believe threaten its historic nature and, in turn, its viability. Chief among those is a proposal from the state to widen U.S. 90 from two to four lanes.

“Downtowns are back and thriving. Milton has a lot going for it and the highway is what's holding it up," Wilks says. "I had a potential investor from Destin who reconsidered this investment because of the uncertainty of the highway. There are many folks out there like him. Wider roads, especially those that barrel people through downtowns, kill the type of economic development that our community wants.

“It also kills our community's sense of place and that can't be relocated, rebuilt or replaced.”

Wilks is hosting a reception Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. offering “to celebrate the people who preserve and protect Downtown Milton's historic integrity.”

“I've always been fascinated by the unique design and location of the building since I was a child,” said Wikes, who now divides his time between Santa Rosa and Washington, D.C.

“I have a collection of drawings I did in high school of buildings in downtown Milton and always thought this one was more special for some reason. My great-grandfather bought his farm in Allentown from the real estate agent who had his office there in the 1910’s. Then my aunt lived in the upstairs unit in the 1950’s and then a friend of mine lived in it in the 1990’s when I was in high school.”

The building dates to about 1912, according to Wilks. It has been home to a real estate office, a dentist and the local National Guard office. Most often, the downstairs has been a hair salon.

The interior of the downstairs had to be stripped to the plaster walls and the tongue-and-groove ceiling. There also needed to be some flooring repairs and re-wiring. The upstairs, a residential unit, had been renovated by a previous owner.

Each floor is about 700 square feet. The downstairs will be home to a two hair stylists and a barber.

Wilks has been involved in many preservation efforts in the Bagdad/Milton area over the years.

“Historic buildings are connections to our past. If we see and touch the original features of old buildings, it's a way we connect with our ancestors,” he said.

“For me, I know my family's association with downtown Milton is what binds us through generations. I like knowing what I'm looking at is how my great-grandfather would have seen it 100 years ago. Historic preservation is also an economic engine.”