Renovations underway at Beaufort's historic Von Harten Bros. building
When Jeff Hiers moved from Estill to Lady's Island five years ago, he began looking for office space to relocate his Colleton County-based construction company closer to home.
Earlier this year, Hiers found the office space he had been looking for, a historic building on Carteret Street he'd long admired on his daily commute up to Walterboro.
Renovations to the historic Von Harten Bros. building began about five weeks ago, shortly after Hiers completed his purchase of the property.
The long-vacant building, constructed in 1921, was once home to the Von Hartens' car dealership and an electrical supply store.
Hiers' company, J.H. Hiers Construction, has done work in Beaufort for the last 10 years. After moving to Lady's Island, he began seeking office space in downtown Beaufort.
"I always wanted to be a little closer to my office," he said. "I like being downtown. I thought it would be a good investment."
The Von Harten building was one of 43 properties on the city's vacant and abandoned buildings list, which was last updated in December 2014.
Plans for the Beaufort Bread Company or a combination bakery, glass-blowing studio and microbrew retail space to occupy the historic brick building were floated in 2012 but ultimately scrapped.
Much of the early work done to the building involved demolishing its interior, including the removal of asbestos and rotted wood, Hiers said. Construction crews have also poured a new concrete floor and have started reframing the 10 offices the building will hold, he said.
Roof panels will also be replaced and a black canvas awning will be installed across the front of the building, he said.
His company plans to move into the restored, renovated building in early January once work is done on the 3,700 square-foot office.
"It's a cool little building and a pretty cool project," he said. "The city has been excellent to work with and everything has gone relatively smooth up to this point."
Follow reporter Matt McNab at twitter.com/IPBG_Matt.
Related content:
- Beaufort landmark to get new tenant, June 10, 2015
- Downtown Beaufort preservationists hope to tie restoration to financial success, June 12, 2012
This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Renovations underway at Beaufort's historic Von Harten Bros. building."