The War Mouth

Columbia, SC

As part of continued efforts to revitalize the North Main Street area of Columbia, Mashburn was selected to provide design-build services to repurpose a 2,400 square foot building into a barbecue restaurant.

The owner wished to keep the building’s original elements whenever possible, so existing metal barrel trusses and wood roof decking were cleaned to retain their character; doors and windows that had been closed were reopened; existing wood barn doors were reinstalled on the interior; and finishes were selected to maintain a rustic feeling. Roll-up doors were installed to provide an indoor/outdoor experience and view of the barbecue pit. Neighboring businesses were not affected by the construction and continued their operations uninterrupted throughout the renovation process.

This project was honored with the Historic Preservation Award for Excellence in Adaptive Use by the Historic Columbia Foundation, as well as the Adaptive Reuse Citation Award by AIA Greater Columbia.