Greenville’s repute as a once burgeoning, now coming-of-age gastronomic destination is a marvel to which even the New York Times lends recent credence. The city’s seemingly overnight ascension to credibility among epicures rests largely on the restaurants that champion efforts of local farms to supply kitchens with fresh ingredients for updated vernacular fare. The Anchorage is no exception; in commissioning Craig Gaulden Davis to reimagine a neglected structure in the Village of West Greenville, the restaurant’s commitment to homegrown endeavors extends beyond the kitchen and crop field and to the drafting table.
The Anchorage charged CGD with giving their decrepit 2,400 SF space a neighborly feel and sense of community while preserving the historic character unique to the three adjoining structures that comprise the overall edifice. Design leader Stuart Stenger incorporated rough sawn wood members, re-exposed brick walls, and custom millwork sawn from reclaimed beams onsite. Greenville artists and artisans were commissioned to furnish artwork and custom pendants. A rotted portion of the second story floor was demolished, creating opportunity for a soaring entry space; progressing into the dining area, the room constricts to be more intimate. Whitewashed joists and tongue and groove ceilings overhead soften the experience, affording a dining ambiance distinctive to a place rising to a modernity that is contentedly rooted in the past.
