It is a little bit of Fayetteville history, reborn for the 21st century. That history is arriving as the Burks Square development takes shape on Ga. Highway 85 South across from Fayetteville City Hall.

The initial phases of the project are underway with restorations already completed to some of the city’s historic homes. Barnard and Associates Remodeling, Inc. is doing the work.

As envisioned, the landmark historic homes will provide a visually distinct alternative to today’s typical commercial/retail developments.

“Everybody’s really excited,” said Cindy Barnard, who by all rights should be as excited as anyone to see the project unfold. Her great-grandmother was long-time Fayetteville resident Mamie Burks Allen, whose family moved to Fayette County in 1863 and later owned the historic Burks Hotel in the heart of downtown Fayetteville. The Burks House Hotel was built in 1906.

For Cindy, Burks Square, located a just a couple of blocks from the old hotel site, is a fitting name for the development that is incorporating portions of the city’s residential history. “We’re trying to bring some of the history back. It’s nice to know that the name is still living on.”

The idea of blending past with present and future is something that can come to fruition with the Burks Square development, Barnard said. The idea of having commercial businesses housed in historic homes provides a way to combine that history through the houses’ exterior features while fashioning the interiors to offer work spaces that accommodates today’s office and retail needs, she said.

Currently undergoing its transformation, Burks Square sits adjacent and south of the circa 1893 Travis House. The Travis House restoration was completed in 2005 and earned Bob Barnard membership in the Southern Living Custom Builder Program.

Barnard, along with Mike Hofrichter, whose law offices are located in Travis House, formed 1875 Holdings, LLC to develop the Burks Square project. Three of the project’s eight buildings are residential restoration projects that stand out in Fayetteville history. These three, the Stone House, Busey House and Arnold House, line Hwy. 85 and form the streetside approach to the development.

Now completed, the project’s first restoration was the circa 1875 Stone House. As with the Travis House, the work evidenced inside and out at the Stone House is exquisite, much like stepping back in time when the homes were new. The 2,400 square-foot house was built by Amherst W. Stone and was once owned by Robert Holliday, a relative of Doc Holliday who figured prominently in Old West lore.

The Stone House is currently the office of The Home Source Realtors, who will feature a grand opening at the site on Feb. 15 at 4 p.m.

Currently in the restoration process are the Busey House and the John J. Arnold House. Like the Stone House next door, the Busey and Arnold homes are also a step back into architectural history with spacious rooms and high ceilings. Home to Dr. Thomas J. Busey, Sr. and his wife Lucille, the circa 1890 Busey House, now at approximately 5,700 square feet, was also the site of a visit and tea from Atlanta author Margaret Mitchell, whose “Gone With The Wind” became an instant classic and from which the groundbreaking cinematic release, in 2007 dollars, remains the highest grossing film in movie history.

At approximately 2,400 square feet, the circa 1910 Arnold House is named for the Fayetteville railroad station master whose home was located on Jeff Davis Drive. Subsequently owned by the Mowell family, a portion of the house was recently moved from the property of Mowell Funeral Home.

Other facets of the Burks Square development are on the horizon. Those include plans for five additional buildings to be constructed toward the rear of the two-acre property and ranging from approximately 2,000 to 8,000 square feet.

Consistent with the restoration buildings, Burks Square properties could be utilized as main office or retail businesses or, in some cases, as executive offices for some companies, Barnard said. Properties are potentially available for live/work, but only by the owner of an individual property and provided stipulations by the Burks Square Association are met.

For Barnard, the Burks Square development is a good way to help more recent arrivals to Fayetteville and Fayette County see and appreciate some of the city’s architectural history, a way to take a walk through the Main Street district and a few blocks down Hwy. 85 to the city’s newest historic area.

“History is important and we need to remember it,” Barnard said. “I want history to live again right here.”

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