Heritage Village at Chestnut Square is home to 10 historic McKinney buildings, many of which have undergone or will soon undergo renovations.
The Bevel House, originally built in 1920 and purchased by the Heritage Guild of Collin County in 2007, is used primarily for wedding and event receptions, according to Chestnut Square Executive Director Jaymie Pedigo. The renovations to the building will add about 400 square feet of usable space, allowing for six more tables and raising the total occupancy from 60 to 96 people.
“Right now we have to have a hybrid indoor-outdoor event if we have 100 people at a wedding. The chapel seats over 100, so we wanted to get [Bevel House] as close to that as we could,” Pedigo said.
The renovations are expected to be completed by the end of September. The Heritage Guild received a $73,765 grant from the McKinney Community Development Corp at its Aug. 25 meeting to cover 95% of the renovation cost.
Other recent renovation projects included adding bracing to the Armstead Taylor House, a historic inn built in 1863. In 2017, the Heritage Guild restored the Dulaney House, a home indigenous to property that is deemed the “cornerstone of Chestnut Square,” Pedigo said.
“To keep 165-year-old buildings standing, there has to be lots of work,” Pedigo said.
The Heritage Guild’s next project is rebuilding a fireplace in the Faires House that was destroyed when it was moved to Chestnut Square, Pedigo said. The Faires House, built in 1854, is the oldest standing residential building in McKinney, and it was saved from demolition by the founders of the Heritage Guild, according to Pedigo.
The recreation of the fireplace will use “true-to-form” brick donated from the J.P. Dowell building in Historic Downtown McKinney and will cost about $30,000. Many previous renovations used methods and materials similar to those used when the building was originally constructed to maintain the structure’s historical integrity, Pedigo said.
“Sometimes it's not always the way you would like to do it, but it's the way it was done in the past. People worked with what they had,” Pedigo said.
Chestnut Square is the home of the McKinney Farmers Market as well as many other annual events, including the Holiday Historic Home Tours and the Legends of McKinney Ghost Walk. Pedigo estimates Chestnut Square welcomes 50,000 visitors each year at public events, school field trips, weddings and other special events.
To learn more about Chestnut Square or find out about events, tours and volunteer opportunities, visit www.chestnutsquare.org.
Chestnut Square
315 S. Chestnut St., McKinney
972-562-8790
www.chestnutsquare.org
Office Hours: Tue., Thu. and Fri. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
