The checkerboard tower next to the train station in downtown Fredericksburg is getting a makeover that will say less “Purina,” and more “upgrade,” as officials go with a blue checkerboard pattern and “Welcome to Fredericksburg.”
The red checkerboard pattern looked like the logo on the Purina dog food containers, and people around town always thought that was where the dog food was made. But is this true? Was it full of Purina Dog Food that emptied into Purina trucks that went all over the country, serving up dog food to hungry canines?
The dog chow notion is not too far-fetched. The tower was owned by the Young-Sweetzer company, a commodity brokerage for grain and hay that shipped their products to major manufacturers like Ralston Purina so there was a grain of truth in the Purina Tower name.
The warehouse was built in 1919 by Young Sweetzer and they owned and occupied it until 1971. In 1966 it was shared by Farm & Tack Supply Co., said Kelley Winkler, Director of Operations at Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. In 2019, the tower was a stop on the Warehouse District Walking Tour conducted by the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation. They refer to it as the “Purina Tower” and the name stuck. Fredericksburg is proud of its place in history.
“I think I like it the way it is,” said a skateboarder out in front of 25-30 Espresso, a coffee shop in the shadow of the light blue pastel tower that sticks out from other buildings in the area. The shop will be in contrast to the blue tower, though.
Luke Gardner was on his way to his high school prom and he noted that the current red paint was fading. It’s time to go with the blue and new, he said. “It’s going to keep getting worse,” he said.
Luke’s father, Mark, runs a gift shop in the same building as part of the tower. He heard about the new color scheme from the building’s owner, who also owns the store space where Mark Gardner’s shop, “Rex Rappahannock,” is located. The Gardners stopped on the block to take some pictures for the prom at Summit Academy, where his son Luke was heading.
“Anything looks better than that,” he said.
The next block is the Janney Marshall Building, an apartment building where the owners recently renewed their sign, which was painted on the exterior wall. This seems to be a new trend in this section of Fredericksburg. The Janney Marshall Building used to be a farmer’s creamery.
Like it or not, the blue paint scheme is coming soon.
The tower, which is at 401 Charles Street near the train station, will be part of a project funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated to the City of Fredericksburg for tourism marketing. The city approved it Friday, April 12. According to the city, Garrett Green, whose business is Green Fitness and Wellness, owns the building and rents out sections for private businesses, which includes the Rex Rappahannock gift shop.
Mike Salmon is a freelance reporter for Potomac Local News.
