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The heart of Mt. Airy’s main street, as it appears today, shows no sign of the devastating fire that gutted the town’s business district in 2007.

Written By Susan Fair, Photos by: Crystal Griffiths

It is an unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon, and downtown Mount Airy bustles with activity. Shoppers browse through racks in front of stores, diners exit restaurants with satisfied smiles on their faces, and friends congregate in the paved plaza walkway to catch up.

The scene could not be more of a contrast to that on September 2, 2007, when engines from three counties converged to fight a devastating fire that would ultimately do millions of dollars worth of damage.

As flames engulfed the heart of downtown Mount Airy, business owners watched what seemed to be their dreams going up in smoke.

At the end of the day, six businesses, DŽjˆ Vu, A Do or Dye Salon and Day Spa, Inspiration Point, Laurienzo Brick Oven Cafe, Olde Town Restaurant and Retro-Metro, would be destroyed or displaced. Ultimately, five of those establishments would re-open, and Mount Airy would be changed for the better.

How did downtown Mount Airy manage not only to recover from the tragedy, but re-invent itself in the process, becoming a trendy shopping, dining and gathering spot for locals and visitors alike?

When Dan and Staci Caiola, owners of Olde Town Restaurant for all of two months, went to bed the night of September 1, 2007, they could hardly imagine what lay in store for them. “I literally ran down here,” says Dan, who was awakened by the sirens. “My first thought was, we’re going to lose everything.”

As Retro-Metro, a retro-themed dŽcor and gift shop, burned, owners Sherri and Doug Johnson could hardly believe what was happening. Open for barely two years, their business was just starting to take off. Joanne Sapp, owner of DŽjˆ-Vu, a popular clothing boutique, had been in her building for less than four years.

Bruce Laurienzo, who with his brother, Jay, owns Laurienzo Brick Oven CafŽ, was sleeping in his apartment above the restaurant. Awakened by smoke alarms, he called 911 while running up and down Main Street to awaken other residents.

Frank Johnson, then mayor of Mount Airy, was one of the first on the scene that morning.

“ÉYou get hit with the realization of how bad this could beÉ in my mind I saw the possibility of Main Street being lost,” he said.

In the months that followed, Mayor Johnson, the town, and business owners would navigate the challenging process of rebuilding.

“The key was to obtain funding to ensure that the businesses could re-open soon, and that they’d also be there to occupy the building space once the buildings were rebuilt,” said Johnson. “Rob Scranton (one of the building owners) was helpful in locating portable trailers for the businesses. And Carroll County provided the blessing of nearly $100,000 to help ensure we could pay for the trailers.”

Several of the businesses then set up temporary shops in the parking lot of the old Railyard downtown. Says Sapp, “We got large, colorful trailersÉthey kept us alive.”

Sapp, who considered not re-building “for about a 30 seconds” found the insurance process the most challenging part of her rebuild, calling it “a nightmare.” But the creative business owner found ways to keep going until the funding kicked in:

“I had no money to buy new displays,” she said, “so I made almost everything from recycled furniture.”

Bruce Laurienzo said that he and Jay also made use of the down time: “We spent the year gathering inspirations, financing and designing the new space.”

Retro-Metro relocated to a trailer, but “a lot of people didn’t even know we were there,” said Sherri Johnson. Ultimately Retro-Metro didn’t make much money that year but “It was what we had to do to stay in business.”

Pat Rockinberg, the current Mayor of Mount Airy, was co-chair of the town Planning Commission in 2007.

“ÉWe held special meetings” he said, “to expedite the planning process and get these buildings re-built as soon as possible. This was urged by then Mayor Johnson, who also coordinated rebuilding efforts with the county and state.”

“The community, the Main Street Association, and other businesses were also essential in providing help,” said Frank Johnson. “And Éthe town government was also there to help. There was a full commitment to a simple vision – rebuild the buildings and restore our community pride.”

One of the town’s inspirations for rebuilding was a vacant lot downtown, still holding place for a building that burned in 1963.

“That was the lesson for me,” said Frank Johnson. “Don’t let upÉ don’t stop pushing, or we’ll run the risk that we’ll have more holes in Main Street for another 45 yearsÉIf you don’t pick up on the energy and commitment right after the fire, if you don’t have commitment all around to rebuild – it doesn’t happen.”

The dedication paid off, and over the next year and a half, the businesses began to re-open, all with a fresh outlook.

Several of the business owners say that one positive outcome of the fire was that, in re-building their businesses from scratch, they were able to make them their own.

“I decorated to my liking,” said Sapp. “Put the walls where I wanted them, hung crazy chandeliersÉ”

At Laurienzo, the aptly named “Phoenix Room,” a large banquet area, recently opened. Bruce Laurienzo noticed another positive outcome of the fire as well: “It built a stronger bond with the other merchants.”

“If there can be anything good about the fire, it’s the plaza,” said Sherri Johnson. Creating that plaza feeling in downtown has made all the difference.”

“The planners tried to maintain the integrity of an historical cityscape,” said Laurienzo. The plaza is a great addition.”

Along with sidewalk sales and impromptu gatherings, the plaza is also used for everything from live performances to a location for a town Christmas tree.

Pete Bowlus, of the Historical Society of Mount Airy, approves: “Downtown looks really nice now, and the businesses did a great job of rebuilding and redecorating.”

For Mount Airy in 2011, the 2007 fire remains much more than a bad memory. It is a testimony to the spirit of the town.

“The fire was a horrible thing,” said Caiola, “but in the long run we were able to turn it into a positive. The town really came together and made it happen. Downtown Mount Airy is definitely better.”