When John Anstey ’93 told people he planned to renovate a boarded up 1950s gas station into the headquarters for his Roanoke advertising firm, he received one of two reactions. “They would either say ‘You’re crazy’ or ‘You’re a visionary,’ ” Anstey said with a chuckle. “And there were various points along the process where I had both feelings.” Anstey has always loved old buildings. But the idea for the dramatic transformation from dilapidated gas station to art deco office space likely had its beginnings in an elective class the English major took at Mary Washington. That historic preservation class, taught by Associate Professor Gary Stanton, piqued Anstey’s interest in preserving the past. The textbook featured a former gas station that had been converted into a visitors center. “That was probably in the back of my mind during this whole process,” Anstey said. The building transformation took about six months once construction began. Before the first brick was moved, … [Read more...]