This past Monday, Friends of the Shepherdstown Riverfront, officials from the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia and the Corporation of Shepherdstown as well as other historians gathered along the Potomac River waterfront to discuss the reuse of one historic structure that has adorned the Shepherdstown riverfront for centuries.

The Mecklenburg Tobacco Warehouse was the topic of discussion that day, and Lynn Stasick, a representative from the PAWV, heeded ideas of what the historic structure could be used for – serving as a community center for events and somewhat of a learning annex for Shepherd University.

It is good to see some ideas circulating about some positive reuse of a piece of the town’s history.

This is one of the greenest actions a community can take, should it want to find more space to hold functions, talks and other programs. Reusing an existing building already lessens the town’s carbon footprint.

But it is also about preserving history and bringing life back into the warehouse.

We at The Shepherdstown Chronicle hope to see something happen from the tour that took place on Monday, and we hope the residents of Shepherdstown get behind the effort. A revitalization of this structure would truly benefit many in the community.