418 South Main, Home of the Pioneers

Robert and Annie McGowan

Fifteen years after Dr. King's assassination, when South Main had declined into a haven for criminals, artists Robert McGowan and his wife Annie bought this building in 1983 and renovated it as their home and work space.  

The reclusive artist and his wife are credited as the earliest pioneers of the area's urban renaissance. 

The Georgian revival building was built in 1915 as a soda fixture company with a soda fountain and rooms to rent upstairs.  In the 1960s it was Jim's Grill.

Click here to learn more about Robert McGowan.