Lavonia Cannery to Undergo Renovations

Now that the City of Lavonia is about to take ownership of the Lavonia Cannery, plans are in the works to restore it to its original look and use.

Once owned by the Franklin County Board of Education, the cannery has been used for decades as a teaching venue for FFA students.

Much of the original equipment that dates back almost 100 years is still in place and has been in use by the school system.

But at the Lavonia City Council meeting this week, City Manager Gary Fesperman said, like the Carnegie Library across the street, there are number of issues with the cannery that need to be addressed.

 “The exterior of the cannery building needs some repair work,” Fesperman said. “Work needs to be done on the facias, soffits and roof.  We have animal infestation and up in the roof we have water leaks. These issues need to be addressed.”

Fesperman said the immediate goal is to stabilize the building before moving ahead with any renovations.

 “We’re going to try and do a stablization project on it before it gets too cold,” Fesperman said. “We’re going to address the roof  and to the repair work to keep water and other elements out of the building. Once we get that done then we can begin working on renovations.”

Fesperman said the overall goal is to restore the building back to its original look, a project he said that will be done in phases.

The cannery also has two classrooms in the front of the building that Fesperman said the Lavonia Library and the town are interested in using.

 “We are putting together some uses for the two classrooms in the front of the cannery. This will help us put together a calendar or schedule of events and activities throughout the year that would ensure the consistent use of the building, rather than just the seven or eight weeks when canning is going on in the rear of the building,” he said.

The City plans to apply for federal and state grants to help pay for the repairs and renovations to the cannery.