The War Mouth

Columbia, South Carolina

In 1946, Metts & Baker Welding started business at 1209 Franklin Street in the historic Cottontown neighborhood.  The property had long been held by the family of Bill Metts – by his grandparents and then his parents, who operated E.W. Metts & Son Welding Works.

In 2015, a few local business pioneers worked with Studio 2LR to convert a former auto-repair shop on Franklin Street into a unique neighborhood barbecue restaurant and bar – The War Mouth. New insulation and roofing above the existing wood roof deck allowed the original deck, wood purlins, and bow trusses to remain exposed.  The concrete slab was cleaned, but kept as-is to show the character of many years of use.  Openings that had been blocked up were restored and new windows and doors were installed, flooding the space with light.  The existing wood shop doors from the front and rear of the building were repurposed and installed as decorative pieces in the restaurant.  A kitchen and new restrooms were added, but the design of the bar and seating areas left as much of the old welding shop open as possible.

PROJECT COMPLETION

2016

AWARDS

2016 Adaptive Reuse Citation Award | AIA Greater Columbia

2016 Adaptive Use Award | Historic Columbia

PHOTOGRAPHY

Kickstand Studio

DRAWINGS / ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

SIMILAR PROJECTS