Clayton's century-old town hall will be transformed by 2026

Clayton is one of the fastest-growing towns in our area, but Clayton’s old town hall has sat vacant for more than a decade. Now, there’s a plan to bring the century-old building back to life.

Business partners Erin Nenni and Christi Thompson are taking Clayton's history at 231 E. Second St. and transforming it into a multi-level mixed-use building dubbed The Station.

The $1.75 million project will generate $400,000 in local economic incentives.

The vacant building built in 1925 still contains old doors to jail cells. The ground floor was formerly the local fire department.

"The architecture in here is beautiful," Nenni said.

The women will preserve the building's history while building a vibrant gathering place.

According to the women, the bottom floor will turn into a restaurant. The middle floor will have a marketplace full of local businesses, and the upper floor will hold 1,000 sq. ft. of office and retail space.

“As small business owners, as women in business, we really want to give people the opportunity to sell and source their local goods," Thompson said. "We want our local tax dollars to stay right here in our community. We want to support small businesses and local makers.”

The building steps, which is just steps away from Main Street, is an example of the expansive growth Clayton is seeing.

"We're using this as one of those catalyst projects to show that there continues to be the rooftops coming in but there’s the commerce to follow it," said Patrick Pierce, economic developer for the town of Clayton.

As is tradition in Clayton, the goal is to maintain a small town feel.

“I’m originally from Johnston County, I grew up here, so I’ve seen Clayton change from this tiny, tiny rural town to something amazing that it is today, and I love seeing the growth," said Nenni. "Keeping the historical roots is so important.”

Both Nenni and Thompson hope the project revives some of Clayton’s history while also helping to push the town forward.

There's a lot of work ahead for the old town hall, which includes installing an elevator. The Station is set to open by the end of 2025.