HAMLET – For over two years, Jo Jenkins drove by the empty shell that was the VFW before deciding one day that it was time to make the move to make an offer on the building. Her thought was, “this would be gorgeous.”
The offer was accepted and she, along with her husband Donald, bought the property at 146 Boyd Lake Road in Hamlet adjacent to City Lake in the fall of 2016. She has been working diligently on it ever since, relying heavily on the decorating sense of a good friend for color and other décor choices to make the building a special place for events. The name of the facility is now Lakeside Venue.
The plan is for the building to be an event venue, a place where parties, weddings, reunions and the like can be held locally and with a pretty view of the lake off the screened porch that runs almost the length of the building in the back. A connecting deck will be used for grilling steak or a fish fry.
When asked if she has done anything like this in the past, Jo says “No – I was in the nursing field for 55 years.” She worked 30 years in Richmond County, 20 in Scotland and two at Cape Fear.
The whole building has been cleaned, polished and painted. A kitchen update was necessary to get it up to current standards, and to make it more usable as a full kitchen for the events that will be held in the facility.
With a capacity of 100 guests, not including the tables set up in the bar area, the building will be ideal for the many different types of events Jo hopes to book there. Her first event will be this Saturday, a wedding reception.
As mentioned, the updating of décor has been done, but there are still some familiar features from when the VFW was in residence there. She refers to the bar area as the “military bar” and has decorated it in that theme.
The Open House invitation describes the atmosphere of the interior: “In honor of our brave military veterans, both men and women, in our community, we have strived to preserve much of the integrity of the original building. You will notice pictures and military memorabilia as part of the décor.”
The large signs on the patio that say “Hamlet Veterans Support Desert Storm Troops” and “Hamlet VFW 7314, Remember our POW – MIA” are still on display, as is a tall, glass-fronted case that houses certificates remaining from the VFW and old pictures given to Jo that have historic significance.
To get the public into the venue, Jo is having an Open House this Sunday, September 23 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served and a tour of the facilities will be given to all who come by.
To book an event or ask questions about the facility, call Jo at (910) 582-3813 or (910) 434-6191. E-mail: lakeside.venue@outlook.com.
