Treasures both old and new abound in former Chapin gas station

Months of hard work and dedication have begun to pay dividends for Chapin Station owners Holly and Randy Coffee.

     The couple has seen a steady crowd of customers come through the doors of their recently-opened gift shop in the tiny Franklin County town. The Coffees came into possession of the building in July and spent the summer and fall preparing the former gas station for its October grand opening. Construction crews, electricians and other contractors completed extensive remodeling work and transformed the run-down building into a suitable shop that now houses antiques, knickknacks and other crafts.

     "Basically, we gutted it completely," said Randy. "We took everything back to the studs and built it back up from there."

The renovation process was long, and the Coffees admitted they ran into a few bumps along the way. Raccoons and other vermin had made the building their own after the gas station closed years ago, and they left their presence known. 

Read the full article in the Dec. 18 edition of the Chronicle.