Sep 4, 2016 3 min read

Residents of Waynesburg and people who visit downtown on a regular basis are only now getting an opportunity to become acquainted with the presence of the new building taking shape in the heart of the business district on High Street.

The framing of the building, being constructed by First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County next to its home office, was recently completed, giving people an idea of the new building’s shape and size and filling the void that existed in that spot for the last three years ago.

First Federal officials said the new building, which will house bank offices, was designed to look as similar as possible to the former Allison Building, which it will replace. So far, it seems to be right on target.

The Allison Building, constructed in the 1830s and demolished in October 2013, had local historic significance as the birthplace of Rain Day.

It was there that William Allison, a drugstore clerk, first noticed in the 1870s that it always rained in Waynesburg on July 29. His records of rain on that date and the wagers he made with other local merchants that it would rain each July 29 eventually evolved into Rain Day.

Over the years, the Allison Building had become rundown, and its structural deficiencies eventually made it too costly to repair. Its demolition, however, left a gaping hole in Waynesburg’s downtown.

To its credit, First Federal made a commitment to the downtown business district by building its new offices at that site and by choosing a design that attempts to replicate part of Waynesburg’s past.

The construction, however, also reminds longtime residents that several other lots in the downtown remain vacant: One is where the People’s National Bank Building was demolished in 2014 and the other where two buildings that housed the Colonial Bar and Lam’s Garden were razed in 2011.

All three of those buildings were purchased by Waynesburg University and, having been found to be beyond repair, were torn down.

At this time, it’s still unknown if the university has any plans for these properties, but doing something with them, even minor, could help improve the appearance of the downtown.

The bank lot is obviously too small for another building, but it would make a nice extension to the adjacent Hooper Park.

Some minor “window dressing” also may help improve the appearance of the lots at the site of the Colonial and Lam’s Garden.

It wouldn’t take much – some trees, benches and tables would probably fit the bill – but any little improvement would help make downtown Waynesburg a nicer place to shop and visit.