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ARLINGTON – Richard Ward and his wife, Alida, knew they wanted to rescue an old, crumbling building in Arlington’s downtown.

Richard noted that many of the spaces along the downtown sit vacant. He said he worries what will happen to many of them if they are not maintained. Some have been torn down due to collapsed roofs.

“I’ve seen this town in better days, and I just wanted to save a building,” he said.

Richard Ward is a fourth-generation Arlington resident who loves the city’s history. He and Alida purchased a spot on Highland Avenue in 2012, right next to the old building that once housed Richard’s father’s jewelry shop. They weren’t sure what the building would be at first, but as they renovated it, the idea to turn it into a venue filled with Arlington’s history took shape.

By the summer of 2013, they had The Hub, a rentable venue space and a museum of sorts to showcase relics from the city’s past. The space is available to be rented for community or personal events. It’s filled with historical artifacts that Richard found or people donated.

Since then, Richard and Alida said they basically became the keepers of Arlington’s history.

Alida said as people sort through their attics or storage bins filled with family keepsakes, they find items they don’t necessarily want to keep but can’t bear to throw out. So, they bring them to the Hub.

In a cluster on one wall of The Hub is an homage to Arlington High School. On another is a nod to the city’s significant railroad history. Vintage letterman jackets, childhood drawings, school musical programs, old photographs and rusted vintage signs are tastefully displayed around the room. Tabletops showcase more artifacts like old newspaper clippings and photos from class trips. On a shelf in one corner are old annuals. The oldest is from 1949. It’s handwritten and preserved in a binder.

The Wards say they believe in the importance of preserving this history, especially in their small town. It’s their way of keeping the town’s story alive.

Arlington is falling victim to the same fate as many old railroad towns throughout southwest Georgia. Business and industry have all but left, and the population is declining at a rate of 2.67% annually, according to the World Population Review. In the 2020 census, the population was recorded to be 1,207.

“I think it’s important to put a foot down and say, ‘Here we are. Don’t forget us,’” Alida said.

The ‘Hub of Progress’

Richard said one can track Arlington’s growth and decline with the story of the railroad. During the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, the railroad – passenger trains – brought people into town.

Richard remembers lively Saturdays when his father’s jewelry store stayed open until midnight. He said you could barely walk on the street because it was so full.

The local Chamber of Commerce coined the phrase “Arlington: The Hub of Progress” in the 1950s as a marketing ploy to attract businesses.

“It was booming on Saturdays,” Alida said. “It was the hub. It truly was.”

Richard’s friend and fellow generational Arlington resident, Hollis Askew, said Arlington peaked at about 3,000 people around that time.

Askew said there were multiple grocery stores, drug stores, clothing shops and hardware stores.

“It was way different,” he said. “All the stores were full. It was alive.”

Askew said small towns are dying now as people move closer to city centers. He has always had a love for digging up old relics: signs, coke bottles from the old Coca Cola bottling company that operated in Arlington in the 1930s, and other items.

Askew said he was excited when The Hub was created and that every town should have something like it. He said people feel good when they bring their artifacts into The Hub.

“It lets the history live on,” he said. “The history would just die with the towns if it’s not brought out where people can see it.”

Richard and Alida said the city could do more to honor its history.

“If you don’t know your past, what is your future gonna be?” Richard said. “It’s important.”

A space for good old Southern gatherings

The Hub is not only a place to enjoy old memories. People also make new ones.

The venue space has hosted holiday gatherings, baby showers, birthdays and even a wedding.

Luke Crosson, a Calhoun County UGA Extension Agent, hosts winter production meetings with local farmers at The Hub. This year, he also hosted a discussion on farmers’ mental health through the extension’s Well-Connected Communities initiative, which supports community mental health needs.

Crosson said the discussion raised awareness for the resources available to farmers to help them deal with their stress and other challenges.

The extension office likes to use The Hub for its size and central location, especially in a county that doesn’t have an abundance of places to meet, he said.

“It’s one of my favorite places to have a meeting because it’s so unique,” Crosson said. “We all appreciate Mr. Richard. He always gives us a history lesson.”

Elsa Harrison, the administrative operations coordinator for Aspire Behavioral Health in Calhoun County, uses The Hub to host Aspire graduations. She said they used to host them in the Aspire Cafeteria but have been using The Hub for the last five years.

“It’s a wonderful space,” she said. “For the individuals that lived with us for a year, it’s fun to get out of the program and go somewhere new for graduation.”

Harrison, whose parents own The Hub, said the South is known for its parties and celebrations. Before The Hub, there weren’t many nice and affordable spaces to host these gatherings in Calhoun County, she said.

“The Hub is important because it’s a good central place that everybody can go to,” she said.

The space is also significant for locals, Harrison said.

“If you’re from this area, you can pretty much be sure you’ll go in there and see a photo of somebody you know – your grandaddy, your aunt or uncle or sister,” she said.

A future of saved buildings

Alida said The Hub was one of the first new spots downtown after many years of stagnation.

As the Wards worked on the space at night, The Hub’s lights would illuminate an otherwise dark and quiet street. She said people would stop in out of curiosity.

Richard said after he and Alida renovated The Hub, other locals followed suit downtown.

Across the street, an old building was bought and renovated into a Hair Salon. Just a couple of blocks down, another was turned into the Sweet Georgia Brown Bakery.

“That was three in a row pretty fast,” he said. “It felt good seeing that happening right after us.”

Alida said she is aware of people coming from out of state to buy old homes in an effort to escape busier lifestyles and find solace in the rural, quiet towns.

However, if people want a downtown building, Alida said they can’t make profit their goal. She said it’s difficult to get people to buy a building without the promise of a profit.

Richard and Alida said The Hub isn’t done for money — it’s done out of love.

Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan