Jefferson Street property’s makeover results in Golden Hammer Award

While some couples purchase flowers or chocolates for their anniversary, Allan and Rachel Bruce bought a vacant building on theirs.

The old Wagner Motor & Magneto Service received a facelift and other renovations after the new owners purchased it in September of last year, earning themselves a Golden Hammer Award.

"The Golden Hammer has been -- and my wife can attest to this -- a unicorn for me to do for a while," Allan Bruce said.

He added, "I like to see what other people's real opinions are of it, so it was really nice that I got other people seeing the work and stuff going on to try to redo this area."

The building, which was built in the 1950s, was originally Wagner Motor & Magneto Service, owned by Albert Sommerer. Sommerer later sold it to Francis and Janice Hake, the couple the Bruces purchased it from.

The building had been empty since around 2014, according to Allan, and needed a new roof and windows, among other things.

He recalled fondly cleaning out the building with family and watching as his young children collected little treasures they found throughout the building, such as screwdrivers and tools. Several Central Dairy milk cartons found inside were distributed to the children to hold their collections.

The once tan exterior now boasts a vibrant blue with murals of gears and vines on the side, painted by a family friend from St. Louis. The new windows and other exterior design changes are all thanks to Rachel, according to Allan.

Allan is no stranger to remodeling and woodwork after growing up making cabinets and remodeling houses. He said he aims to preserve properties the way they were originally.

This mindset helped determine the decision to fix the flat roof instead of removing it to add a half level on top. According to Allan, it wouldn't have fit the original style or that of the neighborhood.

"It's super friendly," he said of the neighborhood.

He added, "Everybody watches out for each other and helps everybody out, so I'd say that part of it is the friendliest of the neighborhood. People really appreciating what you're doing is nice."

While the process is still not complete, Allan is finally able to use the building as a workshop to build cabinets in.