Downtown Peabody youth center plans to open in spring
By JOANNA BRAZIL
PMSA Director
If our downtown buildings could talk, just what would they say? They may have seen your grandpa as a youngster trading baseball cards with a buddy or your aunt wearing her best outfit for the Saturday evening outing downtown.
The great thing about our downtown buildings is the stories they tell; having seen generations rotated, both as businesses and as customers, and having been well preserved over the years so their stories may continue.
Over the past few years, you may have noticed many of Peabody's downtown buildings have had recent facelifts including the addition of new awnings, painted facades, removing metal to uncover original glass, new stone stairs and window sills, and repaired and tuck-pointed stone and brick walls.
A current undertaking has been at the building known as the Seybold Pharmacy building on the east side of Main Street. The two-story, limestone, French/Italianate Renaissance revival building was originally built by local mason, D.C. Kettell in 1878. The building cost $3,200 to erect. The building housed a pharmacy and drugstore business under several different ownerships until it became a dry goods and grocery store. It saw various businesses such as real estate, meat market, Peabody Creamery and Produce Company, restaurant, bakery, music store, barber shop, movie theater (seating 100 people), Byers Variety Store, Seymour's Poultry House, American Investment Company, and Homestead Printing.
"What next for the story of this building?" you ask.
It soon will become a youth center called "The Hub." Local dentist, Dr. Dale Hague, wife Doe Ann Hague, and a few interested citizens recently started a nonprofit organization to house this youth center.
Doe Ann Hague commented, "We believe this (youth center) fulfills a need in our community. We want our kids to have a place to go that's safe and supervised, but also fun."
The Hub, as the organization is called, bought the pharmacy building, and volunteers have been busy repairing, rehabilitating, and restoring ever since. The back wall made of limestone crumbled to the ground during the autumn months of 2005, and while no one was injured, the situation called for immediate attention. The repairs have been extensive.
The Hagues have not been alone in their vision for a safe and fun environment for our youth. Many young people, families, and youth organizations have put their money (and muscles) where there mouths are to assist in the development of the youth center. The small army of volunteers hopes to have The Hub ready to open by late spring as a place for our young people to go that's supervised and fun, after games, after school, and on weekends.
"We hope to have regular planned activities on the weekends such as battle of the bands, karaoke night, movie night, those kinds of things," added Doe Ann.
Ways you can help support The Hub are many. Volunteers will be needed to help supervise throughout the week and on weekends. Cash donations also are greatly appreciated.
The Hub is an organization, not a business. It nearly has completed the process of becoming a certified nonprofit agency. The building and improvements, while financed by volunteers, are owned by the organization. For more information or to help, please contact Dr. Dale or Doe Ann Hague at (620) 983-2776, email zipper@dtnspeed.net or send mail to The Hub at 118 N Walnut, Peabody KS 66866.
