Dog River Crier, #24, Jan. 1983, Julia McIntire, editor

DOWNTOWN

"As this is being written, the south half of the first floor of the Mayo Block at the corner of Main and East Streets is boarded up. It looks very mysterious as one passes by; one can hear pounding of hammers behind boards but cannot see what is going on.

"At the north end of the building Peter D'Amico, a shoe repairman, is temporarily located in what was recently Dorn's Pharmacy. Beneath this section Anna Monte of "Material Things" has spacious quarters for her stunning appliquéd garments, tote bags and children's clothes. On the second and third floor are apartments as there have been for years; and on the fourth floor is a huge room, now unoccupied, which was once the Masonic hall.

"The real activity in the building is the renovation now underway of the first floor. Financed by the Mayo-Beattie Partnership (Ruby, Anna & Edgar Mayo and Deborah Beattie) with Bill Mayo as Manager, this family project is innovative and most interesting. Under the direction of Black River Design of Montpelier and with advice from the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation, workmen are restoring the exterior of the building to as much as it was in the 1930s. At that time there were three sections: on the north a door led to the Boyles and Holton Store; a door next south led to the upstairs; swinging doors on the south led to the post Office where in the center of its lobby stood a huge, round, flat-topped radiator (a favorite place for schoolchildren to warm their mittens on cold days); then came a door leading to Morse's Men's Clothing Store. Full plate glass windows led to the ceiling at the north and south ends. Granite trim around the upper windows and the round granite pillar at the entrance of the building remain as they were originally. Now new exterior doors will match the old oak doors which led to the upstairs, the exterior brick will be cleaned and the window trim will be painted.

"Inside archways in the rear of the first floor which have been boarded over have been uncovered. New wiring and a sprinkler system have been installed.

"Most interesting of all, in order to adapt the interior for modern use, six small shops will occupy the whole first floor. A carpeted corridor with dark green walls and soft green woodwork will connect the lighted shops, each with its own storage area.

"Overhead the original pressed tin ceiling and brass lamps with glass shades (found in the basement) will give the whole a nostalgic charm, while the brightly lighted glass enclosed shops themselves will give a contemporary feeling.

"Four of the shops are nearly completed. D'Amico's shoe repair will soon move into one and workmen and workmen then complete the two on the north side.

"This family project is being undertaken by the children of William B. Mayo who built the Mayo Block in 1902 shortly after his "Paine block" on East Street burned.

"Said The Town of Slate in 1903, '…it is probably the finest block in the state outside the cities, a credit to the town and a lasting monument to the enterprise and public spirit of Dr. Mayo.'

"Congratulations to the Mayo family for its efforts to preserve this fine building and to offer an up-to-date business center for the town. We look forward to shopping in this small mall.