Friends of Mt. Zion Institute

MAY 2010

We've continued our updating on the Announcements page for now. Just click the link below and scroll to the bottom on that page.

 MARCH 2010

 Please see the new

ANNOUNCEMENTS

page for a complete

update!

JULY 2009

 Well, no one ever said it was going to be easy.  Several factors conspired to slow things down during late May, June and part of July, not the least of which was the impact of the current economic situation on the timeline that the Town, the McMaster family, and FOMZI itself had hoped for.  In an effort to lessen that impact, a new plan is currently developing that may be the answer to many of the concerns inherent in the purely philanthropic means of rehabbing Mt. Zion.  It's a little early to go into details, but we are pleased that it appears to be a truly united effort to reach the best and most timely solution for both funding and construction.  Stay tuned ... we'll share more when we can!

May 2009

      Still with us?  Good!  It seems agonizingly slow, but the Mt. Zion plans ARE still moving along.  The McMaster family and Town of Winnsboro continue to hammer out the details necessary to best structure their agreement on the campus property.  Both naturally need safeguards and assurances in place, all of which can only serve to better protect the chances of success at Mt. Zion.  It's not a "done deal", but so far, so good.

FOMZI continues as an advocacy group for the project.  We've moved from a steering committee to naming an official board of directors and will soon elect our first term officers.  Though not immediately involved with the ownership transfer or initial renovation details, we'll continue to monitor the process and report on any progress.  Also in the works are some related plans or events that will allow the town and Mt. Zion supporters to participate in celebrating the long-awaited beginning of the rehabilitation.  All we need to hear is "It's a go!"

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!

 FOMZI enters the new year still awaiting finalization of what it appears will be an agreement for a conditional transfer of the Mt. Zion building campus from the town to a private patron, the McMaster family. This will facilitate the most expedient beginning of the stabilization and renovation process and ensure a definite period of time in which to move the process along and prevent the loss of the buildings.  The Town is working with Mr. McMaster to make sure various historic protections are in place and that appropriate zoning and ordinance needs are met that will enable the vision of  MZI as a continuing educational and cultural venue to be realized.

FOMZI itself is somewhat in a "holding pattern", or stand-by state, for the time being.  As a non-profit, we cannot provide funds to a private entity and have suspended our requests for donations until we determine what, if any, part we'll be needed to play in the foreseeable future.  At the least, we hope to continue building the structure of our organization and to support, promote and advance the interests of the whole campus and historic setting. 

We'll continue to share developments in the project here.  

Our sincere thanks go to the McMaster family and the Town of  Winnsboro for their efforts to find a way to save Mt. Zion and return it to a meaningful place in the community. 

Thanks, too, to you who've followed our story through this website and provided encouragement in so many ways.  FOMZI is gratified that we were able to provide evidence of interest and support that played a large part in establishing the case against demolition!

WHAT'S NEW IN OCTOBER 

October's been a busy and productive month for FOMZI!  We applied for and received our non-profit Charter, making us a legal entity in our own right and able to enter agreements and contracts if the need arises.  We continue to operate under the Mt. Zion Society's 501c3 for donation purposes but are drawing up By-Laws and beginning a board selection process that will lead to a fully functioning independent organization to serve the support needs of the Mt. Zion campus.

FOMZI continued its local support sign-up effort both in Winnsboro businesses and at the Rock Around the Clock festival, which was a fun event that brought us many signatures and words of encouragement.

Last, but most important, we prepared our official presentation for Town Council and appeared before them on October 7.  To supplement print material provided to them a few days before the meeting, we narrated a Power Point presentation on the WHY, WHO, WHAT and HOW of our planned renovation and reuse of the Mt. Zion property.  It appears to have been well received, and we are presently awaiting the final deliberation of Council and the working out of certain details related to an agreement.  Things look quite positive but are not yet definite.  Watch this spot for big, bold letters when we're able to make a definitive announcement!

WHAT'S NEW IN AUGUST/SEPTEMBER

August brought us the long-awaited engineering reports, which confirmed earlier assessments that  the classroom building, auditorium and gymnasium are all well worth rehabbing for our purposes.  The cafeteria, a later addition to the campus, will likely be razed, with the space providing additional parking.

We accomplished several other important things during these weeks.  A door-to-door canvass of the residential neighborhood surrounding Mt. Zion was conducted.  We gleaned many insights into concerns of nearby homeowners and can address many in our planning and structuring.  The level of positive neighborhood support for this project delighted us, and we'll do everything we can to make the "new" MZI a welcome improvement to this lovely and historic area.

Another project completed in mid-August was the mailing of nearly 900 brochures to former students of Mt. Zion, starting with the Class of 1936, who inaugurated the then-new buildings.  Many went to still local residents and more were sent all over the U.S.  The response has been very good so far and FOMZI is enjoying the comments and good wishes we're receiving.

Presently we're waiting (again!) on cost estimates and recommendations from the architect we engaged as consultant to the project.  Working plans already existed and we hope to have few significant changes necessary.  FOMZI is using this time to develop our presentation to the Town for acquisition of the buildings or an agreement that will allow us to proceed.  This will, of course, be the defining prelude to working out many details and issues that are dependent on their decision.  Stay tuned.

 WHAT'S NEW IN JULY

FOMZI is now three months into our work.  Those weeks have gone by too fast but have been full of planning, learning and  more planning and learning.  We've sought out experts in various fields that could assist us in moving forward and found that most of what we're doing is right but that we may not have been tackling things in the right order!  So, back at the drawing board, we've revised our to-do schedule.  Time remains "of the essence", of course, but we believe we're now on a more realistic track and remain optimistic about our chances of success.

 Engineering studies have been underway this month and we're awaiting the written results.  Verbal comments by those poking and prodding through the buildings have been encouraging.  This process and the wait for reports is more than a little nerve-wracking; but we know that, when they're in, we'll be more fully informed and knowledgeable during our decision making and the bidding and contract negotiation process.

Midlands Technical College appears to be firmly committed to a location in Mt. Zion if we are successful with our plans.  Dru Blair, of Blair School of Art, is already in Winnsboro readying the Monticello portion of his school for opening and will be working with us on plans for the portion of Mt. Zion he hopes to occupy.  Since we think this will be a phased project, we haven't begun talks with the several museum interests yet but will be pursuing those once we're on more solid ground with regards to acquiring the buildings.

We're increasing our publicity efforts, with a mass mailing in the final stages before send out.  Our database contains more than 800 names, many of whom will no doubt be hearing about this effort for the first time.  Additionally, we now have a promotional DVD, which we'll use in presentations before clubs and civic groups and as a donor appreciation gift as well.  Unfortunately, we can't make it available for sale but hope to upload a brief version to a video site and link to it here on these pages.

Again, you can also follow our progress through our special reports  in The Herald Independent (www.heraldindependent.com) and we'll make every effort to get weekly meeting recaps up and running.  Meanwhile, let us hear from you ...  every name and note of support is important!

 
[A JUNE UPDATE WAS LOST TO CYBERSPACE BY YOUR WEBSITE MANAGER.  SORRY!]

 WHAT'S NEW 5/27/2008

Talks with Midlands Tech continue to be positive.  An engineering liaison has been assigned to us to assist us in meshing our renovation plans for the classroom building with their space and layout needs. 

Additionally, Blair School of Art, currently located in Raleigh, NC, has expressed a strong desire to take part of the Mt. Zion building if we're successful in our rescue effort.  This is a widely known commercial art school that draws both U. S. and international students and would fit well into our educational focus. 

More, several museum interests have made overtures about locating specific collections at the Mt. Zion Campus.  While all of this is still quite tentative in nature, FOMZI is encouraged by the show of interest and their positive view of our future. 

Much remains to be done, from further engineering studies to plan development to raising funds and coming to agreements with town and county, but each week brings increased hope.  Keep up with our progress here and through the Herald Independent newspaper in Winnsboro:

www.heraldindependent.com



3/1/2012

Take a look at this ETV short feature on Blair School of Art

http://www.scetv.org/index.php/etv_shorts/show/the_blair_school_of_art/

Look who explored MZI this week!

We've reclaimed our HOME page as an introduction to the MZI story.  We'll still feature our most recent updates on the ANNOUNCEMENTS page and others have been moved to UPDATES or archived  in a drop-down under that link.

A site overhaul may be due .... but this is, after all, a "story" and we're not yet ready to skip any of the chapters!

 March 1, 2012

 December 21, 2011

 IMPORTANT UPDATE!

FOMZI received word today that RedClay developer James Maynard and Dru Blair, of Blair Art School, appeared before Town Council at their regular meeting last night (12/20/11). 

Instead of the default we feared, Maynard and Blair offered a definite proposal to move forward with relocating the art school to Mt. Zion, contingent on the Town and the County participating in the redevelopment and allowing enough time to put the plan together.  Town Council agreed, and agreed to help bring County on board. 

This is a major turning point and FOMZI is delighted, to say the least!  We’ve long supported continued educational and cultural use for the campus and Blair’s well-regarded school has been at the top of our list.  The potential to enhance further economic development is so promising and, as shown in a recent Herald Independent article and photo of a Japanese contingent traveling to see it, the school attracts students and visitors from all over the world.

 Our pledge campaign will continue, with the hope that our participation in the joint effort is expected and welcome … and, yes, in case something changes with the current picture.  Right now, though, we regard the events of last night and the evident spirit of cooperation as VERY positive, and we offer congratulations and hurrahs to all concerned.

FOMZI

See Herald Independent news coverage of Town Council's meeting by clicking this          NEWS LINK

Also WIS-TV video news follow-upfeature on the announcement:

  12/26 TV NEWS

December 16, 2011

PLEDGE DRIVE NEAR ROOFING GOAL!

Many, many thanks to those who have taken a leap of faith and promised an investment in our community's future!  Pledges large and small are mounting up and Friends of Mt. Zion Institute is both encouraged and hopeful. 

We're finding more and more examples of successful public/private efforts that use historic preservation as a component of town revitalization. Time after time, history-based development has  proven to be a catalyst for increased employment, increased property values,  higher tourism and prosperity, and improved quality of life for residents.

Let's help make it happen for Winnsboro and Fairfield County and preserve Mt. Zion's history of service . We'll keep you posted!

November 9, 2011

See news of our 2011-2012 Pledge Drive Kick-Off under Special Announcements!



So much to update!  

Our sincere thanks for your patience as we went through several quickly changing situations last summer and fall and then waited out confirmation of various developments with Mt. Zion.  To bring you up to date:

February, 2011

Nine months have gone by since our last update and, regrettably, progress has been slow and reflective of the economic changes and times. RedClay WAS granted the rezoning in June 2010 and has been working to secure financing and tenants.  In a report to Town Council in October, they were candid in their assessment that these are difficult times to be undertaking a project of this type, saying " ... the current economic climate and change in lending requirements of banks nationwide have changed the way banks deal with unsecured debt from the way it was handled just two years ago.  Effectively, the property is not suited for collateral ...".   Nonetheless, RedClay Development, PLLC has remained committed to the project and continues to seek avenues of funding and occupancy.  FOMZI  has kept in contact through these months, both as a monitor of sorts and as official "cheerleader" and encourager.  RedClay has been good to keep us apprised of promising leads and contacts and, at this point, feels that some pieces of the project are close to falling into place.  We fervently hope so!

The archeological study continued into the summer, with a pit project at the site of the old wooden dining hall (long demolished) behind what had been the elementary school.  Among the items found were old square nails, a great deal of coal pieces, unidentified metal pieces, unsurprising pencil nubs, chinaware shards, and an abundance of glass, which our knowledgeable leader characterized as "wine glass".  It was decided not to draw any conclusions from that particular find, but the colors and thickness of the pieces, which included a nearly-whole bottle bottom, indicated late 18th century and 19th century use. Summer heat suspended the study but we hope to continue this spring.



May, 2010

April and May have brought several notable developments in the project.  The first is RedClay's application for rezoning of the property, from R-l (residential) to PDD (planned development district) which will allow the mixed uses needed in the project.  No date has been set for the public hearing.  In the meantime, work is being done on the old cafeteria building in preparation for its use as a training center for local labor who will be working on the renovation of the school.  RedClay is committed to utilizing local labor as much as possible, something we especially applaud in these times that have been so hard on Fairfield Countians.  A third item of interest is news that a so-far small archeological study has begun on the Mt. Zion grounds.  Coordinating with the state archeologist, knowledgeable local volunteer John White is plotting and investigating a number of test digs, which are basically small holes to see what may be found.  A few small items have already turned up, so we'll follow that story as it unfolds. Related photos can be found on the photo page and are linked here.



March, 2010

No official announcements have been made as to tenants, but it is generally known at this time that negotiations are underway for a wellness center to occupy the gym, possibly the old cafeteria, and likely one floor of the classroom bulding.  We know that there are also talks underway with several arts-related entitles regarding both the remainder of the classroom building and the auditorium; however, we don't know where they stand at this point.  FOMZI recognizes the need for confidentiality as RedClay works to find suitable and appropriate tenants, and they have been most thoughtful in letting us know as much as they can when they can without jeopardizing any agreements.   We've learned great patience over the last two years, but as soon as we have official pronouncements, you'll find the news here!



December, 2009

 On December 11th, ownership of the Mt. Zion property (building tract only) was transferred by the Town of Winnsboro to the newly-formed The Historic Mt. Zion Institute, LLC.  This is the business entity under which RedClay will renovate and operate Mt. Zion.  It is our understanding that the transfer includes conditions that protect the property and both parties. The old football field, or green, and the monument portion of the larger tract are not included in the transfer and will remain the property of the Town of Winnsboro.



October 2009

Discussion continued between the Town and RedClay and, while we were not privy to the ongoing negotiation, both parties were gracious and understanding about assuring FOMZI that progress was being made.  We did some "due diligence" of our own in the meantime and remained hopeful.

On October 29, RedClay  and the Town held a public information meeting at the Old Armory to present preliminary plans to citizens (and us!) and explain their methods of financing such projects.  The presentation was well-attended and brought forth spirited discussion on the related issues most impacting the property, the neighborhood, and the town.  There were, of course, some understandable concerns expressed by several nearby neighbors but , for the most part, those attending were very supportive and enthusiastic.

Mr. Warlick, who has a construction engineering background,  and Mr. Maynard, an architect, related how their common interest in old buildings and historic properties led to their partnership and RedClay Development.  They gave a PowerPoint presentation showcasing a recently completed project in Ware Shoals, SC (see Link page) and had several schematic drawings of their plans for Mt. Zion.  The venture is to be financed through a combination of RedClay's established major lending relationships, sales of tax credits, and grants.  Mr. Maynard especially is obviously quite knowledgeable about grant funding for projects such as Mt. Zion and the process of obtaining them.



July 2009

We made reference to a new development in our previous July update.  It was becoming clear to all involved that a strictly private effort by the McMaster family was likely unfeasible, given the current market conditions and various other things that had to be factored into the plans.  The time frame would have stretched out beyond what anyone wanted, and the burden on a singular patron would grow as that time passed, as would the deterioration of the buildings.  About that same time, an alternative presented itself in the form of a development team who concentrate on historic properties, Frank Warlick and James Maynard of RedClay Development, LLC out of Charlotte, who’d learned about the project through an acquaintance with Winnsboro connections.

After several weeks of contact and exploration involving the FOMZI board, Bill McMaster and the RedClay group, we recognized that we had an promising alternative to Bill’s strictly philanthropic venture and its inherent time impediments.  Both Bill and RedClay met with Town Council in late July, and Council and RedClay worked together from there to arrive at a workable plan. 
 

 RedClay has several impressive and successful historic rehab projects under its belt and we’re confident that it is a company sensitive to both the needs and the character of the areas it has gone into.  From the get-go, FOMZI strongly emphasized the type of uses we originally envisioned for Mt. Zion; and both Warlick and Maynard were immediately receptive and eager to respect the framework of benefiting the whole town and county while staying mindful of the Mt. Zion neighborhood.