Ewing to get “Classy” living quarters for Senior Citizens

When the school was built, it originally had huge windows in the back of the building that looked out onto the playground. Wally plans to restore those grand old windows.

A prominent landmark will soon be a viable asset to the Ewing Community once again.

Wally Thomas and his wife Tammy plan to transform the old Ewing School into apartments for senior citizens.

After the couple purchased the building, they both wanted to see an important part of their community’s history being used in a positive new way.

To convert the facility into at least 16, one-bedroom apartments would be a way to save a part of Ewing’s history and a way to keep the school as an asset to the community.

“There have been four and five generations of students who have walked through those old doors, and the hallways of this building”, Wally said. “Memories of a close knit bunch of kids are everywhere and to be able to hold on to this building is a dream come true.”

Plans are to make a unique living space in the former school as each classroom is converted into approximately 700 square feet of living space over the next few years.

While construction in the original part of the school are well underway, Wally said the main focus is to get the newer section of classrooms occupied.

“It’s going to be a few years before the apartment units are completed,” Wally said. “Right now our main focus is getting the four classrooms of the new section occupied. We already have two of the newer classrooms rented. Zach and Whitney Farrar will open Dot’s Homemade Cafe in the next few months and we hope to fill the other two rooms with some type of business as well,” he said.

The Ewing School opened in 1928 and was built by the J.F. Hardymon Company of Maysville and the people of the Ewing District.

“The building is a good solid structure and other than new windows and doors along with the elevator, there has been very little recent repair. We plan to leave a majority of the auditorium in its original condition. The auditorium will make a wonderful community room for the residents to gather and visit or even maybe see a play on the old stage,” Wally said.

In addition to renovating the historic building into apartments, Wally said he wants to also make improvements to the surrounding grounds.

“I plan to find a way to convert the original ball field and playground into a community park. A ball field for little league to practice on or in our wildest dreams, play on again”, Wally said.

With a lot of work ahead of them, Tammy and Wally are excited to finally be able to get some phases of construction underway and will keep the public informed as they go through the process of turning an old vacant school into apartments for senior citizens.

What was once the library and media room will be transformed into a beautiful new and updated living space.

Building owner, Wally Thomas measures the square footage of one of the classrooms that will soon be converted into a single bedroom apartment for Senior Citizens.

Generations of students have spent many hours in the EES Auditorium which will soon become a community room and a place for residents and former students to gather.