Afton gets artistic flourish as redevelopment project ‘blooms’

Recently town residents have been dealing with utility and road infrastructure upgrades, repairs, and fixes accompanied by the various early morning noises, road closings, overnight road patching and re-patching for the length of the work.

And while that can be a sometimes ugly chore to undertake or endure, one pending restoration-redevelopment project has taken on a prettier face recently. That face can be seen in window murals painted on blocks used to keep weather out of the Afton Inn building as replacement and redevelopment work looms.

According to town administrative staff the driving forces behind the mural project were Joint Tourism contractor JLL’s Bethanie Derose, along with Afton developer 2 East Main LLC, Carter-Burton Project Manager Jim Burton, and local artist Melissa Ichiuji.

Contacted, artist Ichiuji told Royal Examiner this:

“The Afton art installation is named ‘Afton Blooms’. The title is an allusion to indigenous floral blooms as well as the property’s rebirth and re-blossoming under new ownership. I painted the panels by hand and each one depicts a wild flower that is native to Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. It was important for me to draw inspiration from local assets and bring awareness to the natural beauty that surrounds Front Royal and makes this area such a unique and special place.

“I was invited by the owners of The Afton – the ‘Inn’ has been dropped going forward – to design artwork for the window openings while the building is under renovation. Instead of raw plywood, we agreed that it was an ideal opportunity to elevate the corner with public art and send a positive message to local residents that progress is happening inside the structure even if it’s not visible from the outside yet.”

Stay tuned as the adventure of the Afton Inn redevelopment project near the heart of Historic Downtown Front Royal progresses through 2022 with scheduled completion before the end of next year. And we will update you on project dynamics and scheduling as more information becomes available.

Go Team Afton!!!

Before and after: Above photo was taken May 14 as signs of window stabilization work were appearing. Below, on June 3 that stabilization was holding some eye-pleasing art in place to improve the overall appearance of the long-derelict, largely gutted Afton Inn. But how many of those bricks surrounding those windows and supporting that roof are going to remain where they are? Not many, if our understanding of the engineering plan is correct. Tho some bricks dating back toward the 1868 construction of the Montrose Hotel may be put to use in less supportive tasks closer to the ground. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

Some things are hard to pretty up as town residents are learning as needed utility and road work progress around town.

Every journey begins with a first step. – This long and winding road journey is scheduled for completion next year. Final photo below shows the Afton, or was it the Montrose then circa 1920s, before one of those new-fangled horseless carriages (pictured) took out the magnificent front porch structure.