A local couple – James and Jessica Whitley – purchased an old textile mill in Athens where people once labored to make denim clothing and transformed it into a place where today people can gather for dining and relaxation in upscale accommodations.
The Rivet House opened Friday in the Southern Mill development at 355 Oneta Street in an area off Chase Street that in recent years has seen a rejuvenation of business and enterprise.
Besides a 50-room hotel, the Rivet House space features a restaurant and bar, Osteria Olio, and in coming days will host a spa with its variety of personal health services.
“We’re bringing something to Athens that in our opinion, Athens has never had before,” James Whitley said.
There are hotels in Athens, but not a “boutique high-end opportunity,” said Whitley, who graduated Oconee County High School in 1997.
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Jessica, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and James began dating in 2009 and after marriage they settled in Athens. He has a degree from the University of Georgia, while Jessica has degrees from UGA and LSU. Both are involved in real estate in Athens and in The Reserve at Lake Keowee in South Carolina.
When they had the opportunity to purchase this portion of the old textile mill, the creative couple could envision something unique for the Classic City.
“Jessica and I thought the old bones to this beautiful facility were really neat,” he said. “We thought we could do this cool marriage of the old-school masculine textile mill combined with feminine design touches and create this great balance.”
However, an abandoned building that long ago lost its purpose presents a challenge.
“You never know what you’re going to get with one of these old buildings. Structurally the exterior walls were very sound, but the roof had caved in a number of spots,” he said. “We wanted to preserve as much as we could, and we were probably able to maintain about 65% of the original beams and structure.”
“It’s been a fun challenge to figure out what you want to save versus what needs to go. We didn’t want to gut the building,” said Jessica, who is also a designer and artist.
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Original fixtures like the elevator doors remain and each of the rooms has a different character, while she said some beams and bricks that had to be removed were reused for accent pieces.
“It makes the building so much more charming,” she said, adding, “we wanted to feel like we respected what was there.”
The couple sought to make Rivet House a unique experience for Athens.
“You’re in Athens, but you could be in New York, in Europe,” she said. “It’s real important for me and James for it be something for Athens. Let’s have a really cool place that locals want to come and share with people visiting Athens.”
The food, featuring modern Italian dishes at Osteria Olio, “is phenomenal,” she said and has already been taste tested by others in the food business.
“It has an amazing bar so you can stop by for a drink,” she said, adding there is a courtyard that the restaurant spills into.
During the building period, she said they used local people in the architectural design and construction.
“I was passionate about using Athens workers and artists on all the pieces and spaces,” she said.
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