After the building next door, home of The Ferndale Enterprise newspaper,
burned down in the early 1920s, part of the land was purchased to construct
a driveway. This gave the hearse access to the rear of the building and
allowed deliveries to be made to the loading dock. Few of Ferndale's buildings
have adjacent-owned driveway access to the rear of their buildings. A smaller Enterprise office
was built next door; today it is a real estate office.
The building might have lost its character in the 1950s and '60s, but
a campaign by Viola McBride and Hazel Waldner saved many of Ferndale's
stately Victorians, including the old Reliable Store, from the modernization
craze that had been turning the historic structures into flat stucco fronts
on Main Streets across the nation. McBride persuaded good friend Mildred
Radanovich to purchase the building and help her to establish Ferndale
as a location that supported and promoted the arts.
Radanovich rented the building at a very nominal fee with the understanding
that the usage would always promote culture. It remained in the Radanovich
family until 2001. A plaque honoring her memory now graces the building
she loved.
In 2001 Gordon and Sharon Green purchased the building, retaining its
mission and continue to promote artists at their Ferndale Emporium. In
addition, quality gifts, garden, décor and personal care items are
now available seven days a week at 344 Main Street. |
