Brewsters: Using an Historic Building to Breath Life into the heart of a Small California Town

The Oldest Remaining Building in Historic Downtown Galt was brought back from the brink of ruin to serve once again as a lively place for gathering and comraderie.

lt’s original hardware Store and Odd Fellow’s Hall … a National Register Historic Property over 100 years old, abandoned and empty for decades, has been reborn as a lively gathering spot and restaurant in the heart of historic downtown Galt. Applied Architecture/Michael F. Malinowski AIA took the challenge on using a creative approach. Unreinforced brick needed to be seismically upgraded; and the original buildings all storefront facade made the challenge worse: there were NO walls able to provide lateral resistance. Another key deficiency was the lack of an elevator to serve the second floor – which contained the high ceiling meeting room from the original Odd Fellows’ hall. Positioning a new elevator at the front – and giving it a robust steel frame, solved both problems in one stroke, while respecting the original character. The old and new are clearly distinguished, but the detailing of the new elevator shaft’s exposed steel frame mimics the rivet fastened steelwork from the turn of the century. A Classic Reborn, and open for business once again. Stop by if you find yourself in Galt!

Applied Architecture, Inc Michael F. Malinowski AIA Design and Historic Renovation and Adaptive Reuse Architect