May 25, 2021 2 min read

MONONGAHELA – Washington City Mission has transformed an old five-and-dime store into a showplace for its new thrift store in the heart of downtown Monongahela.

A new coating of dark redbrick paint on the facade, trimmed in white, made a “huge, huge difference” in the small city with a healthy merchant district, said Terry Necciai, executive director of the Monongahela Main Street Program.

City Mission, a Christian organization that helps the homeless, purchased the building at 211 W. Main St. in February after its former Monongahela location was sold.

“We wanted to stay in Monongahela because of our customer base,” said City Mission spokesman Gary Porter.

The improvements to the building are being funded in part by the city’s facade improvement grant program, which is set to expire this summer, Necciai said.

The building will have gooseneck lights above the first floor and a new vintage sign inspired by those that once adorned F.W. Woolworth Co. stores, Porter said.

Necciai said the building was lucky to survive a fire 15 years ago that nearly forced its demolition. It was constructed by Frank P. Keller for the Claude Towner variety store, which eventually was sold to McCrory Stores, Necciai said.

For decades, the 66-foot wide storefront was painted turquoise, a color that had faded.

City Mission hopes to open its Monongahela store in July, Porter said.