Golden Rule

Belington, Barbour County
Construction Date: 1902
Threat: Deferred Maintenance, Vandalism, Pests, and Invasive Vegetation

March 2019 Update: Woodlands Development Group (WDG_ officially purchased the building in March 2019. WDG secured a Low Income Housing Tax Credit Award for the project. The National Register Nomination has been approved at the state level and is now under review by the National Park Service. Part 1 and Part 2 of the Historic Tax Credit application have been submitted and are under review. Construction is expected to start in July 2019.

2017 Update: No updates have been made available to PAWV in the past six months.

As of the last update provided to PAWV in January 2017, the Belington Revitalization Committee obtained a $20,000 forgivable loan to be applied towards acquiring ownership of the building.  They are currently evaluating the feasibility of a potential second loan to cover the remaining cost to purchase the building.  Rehabilitation work cannot begin until all funding is secured.   Fundraising efforts have continued, such as their Save the Golden Rule Garden Party, which was held in the yard of the building in June 2016.

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/goldenrulebuilding/
• http://www.belington.net/index.php/community-rss/178-save-the-golden-rule-garden-party​

2014: The Golden Rule played a significant role in the commercial development of Belington. For nearly 100 years, the building housed a family-owned business, Valley Grocery Company, a wholesale operation that evolved into the Golden Rule Company, which was more retail based. Currently, it is owned by a private owner and used for storage. The building has been subject to deferred maintenance, vandalism, pests, and invasive vegetation. Its Italianate architectural style is a rarity that remains intact from the town’s commercial boom in the first half of the twentieth century. It is additionally unique because it features a water-powered elevator. The Belington Revitalization Committee (BRC) is dedicated to its preservation and believes its re-use will spark much-needed economic development in the area. The group’s goals include acquisition and development of a rehabilitation plan with the BRC and the Woodlands Development Group to jointly maintain the property.

Download 2014 Report