Old is new once again
'Hole in the Wall' gets face lift
By KATHLEEN MCKEVITT

It was 1931, and the time of the Great Depression in America. Hoke Smith, publisher of the Atlanta Journal, governor from 1907-1911, U.S. Senator from 1911-1921, died; the Star Spangled Banner became the national anthem, and Blind Willie McTell, famous jazz artist, was born in Thompson, Ga. The Skillet Lickers old time fiddle tunes and songs from North Georgia became well-known; Richard Russell Jr. took the oath of office for Governor of Georgia; Bobbi Jones announced his intent to build a golf course (Augusta National, which is today, the home of the Masters Tournament), and the Hole in the Wall restaurant opened in Blairsville.

The original owners built the place to last. Eleven owners brought the restaurant into this millenium, and the new owner and manager in their words, "gave the ol' girl her first face lift ." Coowner Loretta Durden says, "she (the building) needed someone to care for her and bring her up to date." After five ceilings were torn out, and four floors, manager Mark Cox coaxed the old building back to life by replacing all those ceilings with a beautiful modern one, restored the kitchen, and rebuilt walls. He added a new staircase to an attic that had been walled off since 1971.

Cox remembers that in the reconstruction process "we had to drill holes to drive in the nails." The old wood, probably native locust, was rock solid after 75 years, and was put together with "chinking," a combination of caulk, grout, and cement. Cox adds, "It's the first time the wiring has been updated since the 1950s."

From the date of purchase by Durden and Pistole LLC in May of 2006, to July 3rd., when the restaurant reopened as "Hole in the Wall Blairsville Historic Diner," all the reconstruction was done. "It was an amazing accomplishment," says Durden of Cox's work.

Cox is also the head cook, offering a new menu that includes daily lunch specials as well as standard fare, and breakfast is served starting at 7 a.m. One local diner says, "it's the best hamburger in five counties!"

Cox and Durden hope that local people reading this article who know anything about the background of the Hole in the Wall "will come share their memories and pictures with us because maintaining the history of the place is important to us."

Since 1931, it is known that Margie Henson started the restaurant and sold it in 1934- and here, there is a gap where the present owners are looking for information on who owned the diner from '34 to '39. In 1939 G.A. Jones bought the

diner and sold it to C.L. Butt in 1944 who owned it until 1952. Mr. Butt sold it to P.L Thomas in 1952. Thomas sold the restaurant to Robert L. Head who, in 1953 sold it to Paul and James Gibson who owned it for 20 years when it was sold to James C. Harkins, who immediately sold it to Gail Romaine in 1994; then Romaine sold to Carla Blackwell who owned it for about five years, and "somewhere in there," says Durden, "it was rented by the Heltons for $100 a month."

Durden says, "It's always been a restaurant, since 1931 and for 75 years has provided a way of making a living for people."

The Hole in the Wall Historic Diner is open from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Call 706-7457588 for more information.