This morning I met up with Charles Wagandt, the president of
The Oella Company. His company has been involved in the redevelopment of the
former mill village along the banks of the Patapsco River
It’s a different place today. The William J. Dickey &
Sons Textile Mill was built in 1918 and ceased operations in 1972. It is now a 147 unit luxury apartment project offering spectacular views of the river.
Homes dating back to the early 1800’s have been painstakingly rehabbed and new
homes have been added that maintain the architectural integrity of the village.
Oella is now a National Register Historic District.
It’s still a work in progress and that’s what bought me back
to see Charles this morning. Earlier in the year he had asked me to come up and
take a look at the old village Community Hall which he had leased to a technology
company called SensorStar. The company had since moved their operations down
the hill to Ellicott City and Charles wanted
to find a new tenant. He asked for my advice.
At the time, the building was clad in asbestos shingles. It
sorely lacked what we call curb appeal. I suggested to Charles that getting rid
of the asbestos shingles might be a good start.
He actually listened to me!
Today, with the old shingles removed, the original plank
siding was exposed. I only wish I had taken a before picture. The place looks
great.
If any HoCo loco business is looking for something a little
different than the standard suburban office fare, there is a 5,000 square foot
building in Oella that’s well worth a look.
And yes, this was a bit of a shameless plug for my real job.
