The Grove Homescapes, Pacific GroveStore Opening
December 10th, 1996
In 1994 Beau was living back home here on the Monterey Peninsula and he came across a building that he thought would make a fantastic store. Only trouble was, it was condemned and butt ugly. But somehow he talked me and our Dad, Tom Finklang, and Dad’s wife, Claude, into tackling the project. With the skillful and invaluable help of Rhett Allen Smith, our class-mate from Carmel Woods School on Dolores, we set out to make a silk purse out of the sow’s ear of the old Grove Laundry in Pacific Grove.
The first year of construction was pretty daunting, considering that when I say “we built the building,” for the first year of construction/demolition I really mean it. Idealistic and cheap, Rhett, Beau and I only brought in help when we couldn’t do something ourselves. Dad would come down from the Bay Area whenever he could and pitch in, wading and working with us through the mud and the debris.
Eventually an unexpected deadline necessitated bringing in a crew of talented craftsmen to help us out. Unfortunately, Claude had developed breast cancer and we hoped the adding of hands would help us complete the project before she died. While we didn’t get the main showroom completed in time, we were able to get the gazebo finished and operating as a garden shop before she passed away, and on her birthday December 10th, 1996 we opened The Grove Homescapes.
One of the last additions to the building’s exterior that we made before moving on to the interior finish work was a cornerstone plaque commemorating the project. Even at the time, because of the circumstances with Claude, we knew we were creating a memorial that would outlast our own lives.
Today my Dad passed away and I wanted to bring the project back into view before memories fade of the time when we thought all things were possible.
Thanks for letting me share this with you.
…After
Before…
…After
Before…
…After
