(https://gmpg.org/xfn/11) (https://fonts.googleapis.com) (https://fonts.gstatic.com)  (../../../fonts.googleapis.com/css@family=Oswald%253Awght@200..700&display=swap.css) (../../../fonts.googleapis.com/css@family=Oswald%253Awght@200..700&display=swap.css)  (../../../fonts.googleapis.com/css@family=Noto+Sans%253A300,400,400i,700%257CNoto+Serif%253A400,700%257COpen+Sans%253A300,300i,400,400i,500,700&display=swap.css) (../../../cdn.jsdelivr.net/jquery.slick/1.6.0/slick-theme.css) (../../../cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/7.0.0/css/all.min.css) (../../../cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/7.0.0/css/all.min.css)   Historic renovations: Investors breathe new life into old buildings in downtown West Point - The Dispatch  (index.html)                  (https://static.addtoany.com/)  (https://e4sh3cjh5t7.exactdn.com/)  (https://e4sh3cjh5t7.exactdn.com/)  (The Dispatch » Feed) (https://cdispatch.com/feed/)  (The Dispatch » iCal Feed) (https://cdispatch.com/events/?ical=1)  (../../wp-content/plugins/leaky-paywall/css/lp-list-builder.css@ver=5.1.7.css)  (../../wp-content/plugins/wpb-custom-addons/includes/css/style.css@ver=6657380.css)  (../../wp-content/plugins/leaky-paywall/css/issuem-leaky-paywall.css@ver=5.1.7.css)  (../../wp-content/plugins/leaky-paywall-trials/css/style.css@ver=1.9.6.css)  (../../wp-content/themes/commercial_dispatch_v3/css/theme.min.css@ver=.1767201025.css)  (../../wp-content/themes/commercial_dispatch_v3/css/style.css@ver=1785853669.css)  (../../wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/addtoany.min.css@ver=1.16.css)  (https://cdispatch.com/wp-json/tribe/events/v1/)  (../../../e4sh3cjh5t7.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/cropped-dispatch-red-d-logo-2.png@strip=all&resize=32,32)  (../../../e4sh3cjh5t7.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/cropped-dispatch-red-d-logo-2.png@strip=all&resize=192,192)  (https://e4sh3cjh5t7.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/cropped-dispatch-red-d-logo-2.png?strip=all&resize=180%2C180)      (index.html#content) Skip to content (Site search)  (index.html#) Sections    (https://cdispatch.com/obituaries/) Obituaries  (https://cdispatch.com/eedition/) eEdition  (https://ads.cdispatch.com) Classifieds  (https://cdispatch.com/events/) Events  (https://donate.cdispatch.com) Donate     (https://cdispatch.com/) (Dispatch Mobile Logo)   (https://cdispatch.com/subscribe/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=button&utm_campaign=offer_button&utm_content=top) Subscribe  (https://cdispatch.com/login-page) Login      (search...)    August 29, 2026     QUICK LINKS (https://cdispatch.com/obituaries/) Obituaries  (https://cdispatch.com/eedition/) eEdition  (https://ads.cdispatch.com) Classifieds  (https://cdispatch.com/events/) Events  (https://donate.cdispatch.com) Donate   (https://cdispatch.com/news/) News  (https://cdispatch.com/news/columbus-lowndes-county/) Columbus & Lowndes County  (https://cdispatch.com/news/starkville-oktibbeha-county/) Starkville & Oktibbeha County  (https://cdispatch.com/news/west-point-clay-county/) West Point & Clay County  (https://cdispatch.com/news/area/) Area  (https://cdispatch.com/news/state/) State  (https://cdispatch.com/news/national/) National  (https://cdispatch.com/news/business/) Business   (https://cdispatch.com/sports/) Sports  (https://cdispatch.com/sports/high-school-sports/) High School Sports  (https://cdispatch.com/sports/college-sports/) College Sports  (https://cdispatch.com/sports/local-columns-sports/) Local Columns   (https://cdispatch.com/eedition/) eEdition   (https://cdispatch.com/events/) Events   (https://cdispatch.com/opinions/) Opinions  (https://cdispatch.com/opinions/local-columns/) Local Columns  (https://cdispatch.com/opinions/letters-to-the-editor/) Letters to the Editor  (https://cdispatch.com/opinions/roses-thorns/) Roses & Thorns  (https://cdispatch.com/opinions/dispatch-editorials/) Dispatch Editorials   (https://cdispatch.com/obituaries/) Obituaries   (https://cdispatch.com/lifestyles/) Lifestyles  (https://cdispatch.com/lifestyles/columns-lifestyle/) Columns  (https://cdispatch.com/lifestyles/entertainment/) Entertainment  (https://cdispatch.com/lifestyles/food/) Food  (https://cdispatch.com/lifestyles/transitions-announcements/) Transitions & Announcements  (https://cdispatch.com/lifestyles/community/) Community  (https://cdispatch.com/lifestyles/religion/) Religion   (http://ads.cdispatch.com/) Classifieds   (https://cdispatch.com/gallery/) Photo Galleries   (https://cdispatch.com/public-records/) Public Records  (https://cdispatch.com/public-records/building-permits/) Building Permits  (https://cdispatch.com/public-records/marriages-divorces/) Marriages & Divorces   (https://cdispatch.com/subscriber-profile/) My Account        August 29, 2026   (https://cdispatch.com/) (Dispatch Logo) Open eyes, open minds.     Serving Columbus & Starkville, Mississippi        (https://cdispatch.com/) Home  » (https://cdispatch.com/news/) News  » Historic renovations: Investors breathe new life into old buildings in downtown West Point   (https://cdispatch.com/news/) News   Historic renovations: Investors breathe new life into old buildings in downtown West Point By (https://cdispatch.com/author/emcraecdispatch-com/) Emma McRae  • July 18, 2026  • 3 mins to read   (Historic renovations: Investors breathe new life into old buildings in downtown West Point)   Bruce Simpson, owner of Silver Leaf Construction and partner with Old Growth Holdings, points out on Friday changes planned for the historic building at 209 E. Main St. in downtown West Point. Old Growth Holdings is renovating the building, along with three others on the strip, with plans to move tenants in by next year. Emma McRae/Dispatch Staff  Having grown up in West Point, Bruce Simpson was tired of driving down Main Street to see door after door of downtown buildings closed. Now Old Growth Holdings, a company Simpson founded with two other local partners, is renovating a strip of downtown buildings with hopes that new tenants could at least be a start to reversing the trend. Aiming to do more than simply fill empty storefronts, Simpson hopes the project can spur other citizens to invest in downtown properties. “When you drive through town, every door is shutting every other year,” Simpson said. “It just needed to have somebody just take it by the reins and just show them what can happen when you invest in it and select good tenants rather than just people that want a storage building or something.” The four buildings on East Main Street – each built between 1885 and 1890 – have had various tenants over the years, Simpson said, though most recently two were owned by a company called Nu Look, one sat vacant and the fourth was an appliance store. That building, originally opened as an opera house, reopened seven months ago as Mockingbird Lane Antique Market after Old Growth Holdings renovated the property. (https://cdispatch.com/news/historic-renovations-investors-breathe-new-life-into-old-buildings-in-downtown-west-point/attachment/em-west-point-downtown-2/) ()    Pictured are the four East Main Street buildings purchased by Old Growth Holdings in hopes of spurring more downtown development in West Point. Partner Bruce Simpson said the three vacant buildings are set to house a tanning company, gym and wellness company by the start of next year. Emma McRae/Dispatch Staff    Simpson, who also owns Silver Leaf Construction, said renovations for the other three buildings include upgrading the roofs, plumbing and electrical systems while restoring the original hardwood floors and walls. There will be some slight exterior work, but it will remain true to the historical facades, he said. “All those buildings are kind of in disrepair because … all the old owners, they didn’t want to invest in it,” Simpson said. “… We’re trying to bring them back to keep the history alive of all the buildings.” Simpson said there are already three tenants lined up for the buildings, including a tanning company, a gym and a health and wellness retailer. He intends for all of the work – estimated to be a $750,000 investment – to be finished and tenants moved in by January 2027. “We have big plans for this town because we believe it’s going to grow,” Simpson said. “We want to invest in the future.” Simpson said he also hopes the venture inspires other citizens to invest in downtown West Point. That’s a sentiment shared by Ray Hamilton, owner of Anthony’s Market. Just up East Main Street, Hamilton is working with Arkansas-based Flyway Brewing to open a location in the historic Justice Company Building, just across the street from Anthony’s. The roughly (https://cdispatch.com/news/mary-means-business-anthonys-owner-to-operate-west-point-microbrewery/) 9,000 square-foot space will include both a brewery and a restaurant. There will also be a kid-friendly outdoor space, he said. (https://cdispatch.com/news/historic-renovations-investors-breathe-new-life-into-old-buildings-in-downtown-west-point/attachment/justice-company-building/) ()    The old Justice Company Building is pictured on East Main Street in West Point. Expected to open in January, the building is being renovated to house Flyway Brewing, which will be a roughly 9,000 square-foot microbrewery and restaurant. Emma McRae/Dispatch Staff    “We’ve had construction going for a while, basically clearing the building out, stripping it down to its original floors and walling, and so now we’re about to start putting up actual walls and equipment and things like that,” Hamilton told The Dispatch on Friday. “We’re thinking Jan. 15 is probably going to be the opening day.” Hamilton hopes the microbrewery will help drive more traffic downtown, particularly from drivers passing through Highway 45 Alternate. Adding other attractions, he said, like boutiques and more kid-friendly spaces, will help bring even more consumers to the area. “(West Point) is beautiful,” Hamilton said. “It’s got a strong soul to it, and I think it has all the potential in the world. We’ve just got to work together and provide these opportunities to showcase what we can do.” (https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/copy_link?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdispatch.com%2Fnews%2Fhistoric-renovations-investors-breathe-new-life-into-old-buildings-in-downtown-west-point%2F&linkname=Historic%20renovations%3A%20Investors%20breathe%20new%20life%20into%20old%20buildings%20in%20downtown%20West%20Point) (Copy Link)  (https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/email?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdispatch.com%2Fnews%2Fhistoric-renovations-investors-breathe-new-life-into-old-buildings-in-downtown-west-point%2F&linkname=Historic%20renovations%3A%20Investors%20breathe%20new%20life%20into%20old%20buildings%20in%20downtown%20West%20Point) (Email)  (https://www.addtoany.com/share)    McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.  You can help your community Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 42 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.   (https://cdispatch.com/subscribe/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=button&utm_campaign=offer_button&utm_content=below-article-cta) Subscribe    You can help your community Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 42 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.   (https://cdispatch.com/subscribe/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=button&utm_campaign=offer_button&utm_content=below-article-cta) Subscribe     READER FAVORITES (https://cdispatch.com/news/coo-jammie-garrett-suspended-for-misconduct/) (COO Jammie Garrett suspended for ‘misconduct’) (COO Jammie Garrett suspended for ‘misconduct’)    (https://cdispatch.com/news/coo-jammie-garrett-suspended-for-misconduct/) (COO Jammie Garrett suspended for ‘misconduct’) COO Jammie Garrett suspended for ‘misconduct’  By (https://cdispatch.com/author/zack-plair/) Zack Plair  • 2 days ago    (https://cdispatch.com/news/man-arrested-after-smashing-up-er-waiting-room/) (Man arrested after smashing up ER waiting room) (Man arrested after smashing up ER waiting room)    (https://cdispatch.com/news/man-arrested-after-smashing-up-er-waiting-room/) (Man arrested after smashing up ER waiting room) Man arrested after smashing up ER waiting room  By (https://cdispatch.com/author/bsimmons/) Braden Simmons  • 2 days ago    (https://cdispatch.com/news/starkville-projects-additional-2-1-million-from-property-tax/) (Starkville projects additional $2.1 million from property tax) (Starkville projects additional $2.1 million from property tax)    (https://cdispatch.com/news/starkville-projects-additional-2-1-million-from-property-tax/) (Starkville projects additional $2.1 million from property tax) Starkville projects additional $2.1 million from property tax  By (https://cdispatch.com/author/pgreencdispatch-com/) Paloma Green  • 2 days ago    (https://cdispatch.com/news/rent-a-revolving-door-and-a-cookbook-the-story-of-starkville-arts-councils-closure/) (Rent, a revolving door and a cookbook: The story of Starkville Arts Council’s closure) (Rent, a revolving door and a cookbook: The story of Starkville Arts Council’s closure)    (https://cdispatch.com/news/rent-a-revolving-door-and-a-cookbook-the-story-of-starkville-arts-councils-closure/) (Rent, a revolving door and a cookbook: The story of Starkville Arts Council’s closure) Rent, a revolving door and a cookbook: The story of Starkville Arts Council’s closure  By (https://cdispatch.com/author/akingcdispatch-com/) Ashlynd King  • 19 hours ago              (https://cdispatch.com/popular-content/) Popular  (https://cdispatch.com/news/coo-jammie-garrett-suspended-for-misconduct/) COO Jammie Garrett suspended for ‘misconduct’  August 27, 2026     (https://cdispatch.com/news/mary-means-business-columbus-downtown-regions-building-is-under-contract/) Mary Means Business: Columbus downtown Regions building is under contract  August 27, 2026     (https://cdispatch.com/news/man-arrested-after-smashing-up-er-waiting-room/) Man arrested after smashing up ER waiting room  August 27, 2026     (https://cdispatch.com/news/starkville-projects-additional-2-1-million-from-property-tax/) Starkville projects additional $2.1 million from property tax  August 27, 2026         On This Day in 2025  (https://cdispatch.com/sports/mbk-update-sergej-macura-eligibility-and-staff-changes/) (MSU MBK Update: Sergej Macura eligibility and staff changes)    (https://cdispatch.com/sports/mbk-update-sergej-macura-eligibility-and-staff-changes/) MSU MBK Update: Sergej Macura eligibility and staff changes  August 29, 2025 By Colin Damms          Featured Podcasts  (https://www.buzzsprout.com/645052) (The C Dispatch Podcast)   (https://cdispatch.com/podcast/) (Between The Headlines Podcast)        (https://cdispatch.com/) (The Dispatch)   Serving Columbus & Starkville, Mississippi. (https://www.facebook.com/TheDispatch/)   (https://www.instagram.com/cdispatch/)   (https://x.com/cdispatch)    (https://cdispatch.com/about/) About  (https://cdispatch.com/tips/) Submit a Tip    Newsletter Our headlines, delivered to your inbox. Sign up for Morning Shot , our flagship daily briefing of the day's news.  (1)  Email address (you@example.com)  Sign up  ()   (https://cdispatch.com/newsletters/) See all newsletters → Free. Unsubscribe anytime.       Info (https://ads.cdispatch.com) Classifieds  (https://progressmag.com) Progress Magazine  (https://lowndesil.org) Free Books for Kids  (https://donate.cdispatch.com) Donate for Journalism     Contact (tel:6623282424) (662) 328-2424  Newsroom 516 Main Street Columbus, MS 39701 Mailing PO Box 511 Columbus, MS 39703       Copyright © 2026 Commercial Dispatch Publishing Co., Inc.  (https://cdispatch.com/terms/) Terms (https://cdispatch.com/privacy/) Privacy       Unlock this article. Just sign in. Have an account? Sign in. New here? Get more access in seconds. Email Address () (Enter your email)    Continue  Yes! I would like to receive content in my inbox.       Keep reading - subscribe today You're one step away from unlimited access to the most in-depth Golden Triangle reporting available. (https://cdispatch.com/subscribe/) Get Unlimited Access      (index.html#top) (ToTop)