by Ann Cipperly
In the early hours of July 21, 2022, a fire swept through Mafia’s restaurant in downtown Opelika, damaging one adjoining business and filling The Gallery on Railroad with smoke. After over a year of renovations, The Gallery has been restored and is open with a new selection of home decor, accessories, paintings and custom framing. The sturdy 1865 building with three layers of brick firewall has a lively hisory of a wild, settling railroad town.
In its early history, the building was a saloon with a brothel upstairs. As the trains passed through town, passengers were told to duck below window level as patrons from the saloon would have contests to see who could shoot out the most train windows. Originally, the building had two full floors with a staircase in the center. In the 1880s, the building had its first fire, and the mezzanine balcony was constructed during the restoration.
The Gallery on Railroad is one of the longest operating shops in downtown Opelika. Owner Debbie Purves and her mother, Carolyn Strother, opened the business 43 years ago. “I was coming home from church with Mama and Daddy one Sunday afternoon,” remembers Debbie, “and Daddy asked me what I thought about opening a frame shop. I had always been interested in art and was thinking an art gallery sounded like a good idea.”
The following day, her father, Dr. Ken Strother, purchased the building in downtown Opelika. He had always admired the space and was interested in owning and renovating the building.
Debbie and her mother attended framing classes and purchased paintings from an art dealer. Once the building was renovated in May 1980, they opened the custom framing business along with a good selection of art and English antiques. After her parents moved to the lake, Debbie began running the shop on her own. The business became more well known over the years for her artistic custom framing.
After Debbie and her husband, Dr. George Purves, married, she thought of retiring. George grew up in England, was on staff in hospitals at Harvard and in Houston before coming to Opelika as an anesthesiologist for East Alabama Health. He talked his wife out of retiring.
“I thought if I was going to be at the shop, then I wanted to see lots of pretty things along with the art gallery,” Debbie says. “I purchased items that I would like to have in my home, and they sold.”
Debbie began adding more home decor and accessories, then expanded into jewelry, gourmet foods, lamps and other home items. When her sister-in-law, Sherry Strother, began helping her, they added dresses and purses. She also began carrying local artists’ work.
On the night of the fire, a neighbor texted George to tell him there was a fire downtown, but he didn’t see the message until morning. When he saw it, he told Debbie that she might want to go check on the shop. She left immediately.
“When I came down to the shop,” she remembers, “it was like a war zone. I think I was in shock. My building didn’t look damaged, so I asked the assistant fire chief if I could open my shop after lunch. He looked at me and said there wasn’t any power. I asked about the next day, and he told me to come back later that day so I could see the inside of the building.
“The smoke smell got worse in the following days,” Debbie recalls. “There had been so much smoke in the shop that the fireman had to chisel into the brick to be sure there wasn’t a fire. I was lucky. The walls are three layers of brick firewall. It wasn’t hot in the shop and candles on the shelves did not melt. While we had total smoke damage, we are grateful it was not structural.”
Debbie was touched by so many in the area who reached out to check on her.
People would tell her they were praying for her. “I love this town,” she says.
With the help of others, Debbie conducted an inventory that took three weeks. Most of the items in the shop were good. The items needed washing, but she couldn’t sell them as new. She decided to have a fire sale, and the community was supportive.
A day before the fire, Graham Hage at Zazu Gastropub had purchased the Eighth and Rail building next door to The Gallery. He offered the space to Debbie while her shop was being restored. She opened her business in that building temporarily in October 2022 and quickly began to rebuild her inventory.
Debbie was also able to continue the framing business with the help of Charles Jernigan’s studio. She would go through the back door of her shop to select the frame and matting, then go to the studio to put the framing together.
Once The Gallery was restored, it reopened in November 2023. The restored building has timeless beauty with rich wood patina, old brick from the original fireplace and other stunning details. The staircase and railing on the mezzanine received a fresh coat of olive toned paint, while wood framed arches accentuate the back wall. The ceiling has exposed beams in one area and tin in another section.
The chandeliers were replaced with sparking crystal bloom patterned lights. The cashier area moved to the center with French antiques. While the top floor has the original hardwood flooring, the downstairs carpeting was replaced with new heart pine flooring. Debbie plans to refresh the front of the building in the coming year.
The restored shop is brimming with home decor, assorted dishes and bar-ware, lamps, small furniture, pottery from regional potters, gourmet food items, accessories, jewelry, purses, clothes and an assortment of artwork. The framing selection area has been redesigned for a fresh and professional experience for clients.
A variety of paintings by local artists are featured. “I have always loved to promote the talent we have in our area,” Debbie says. “Kathy Miller Lowe was one of the first local artists I represented and still offer a great selection of her work. People like to sup- port local, and The Gallery is proud to be able to show off the talent we have in our community.”
The shop also carries paintings from regional and European artists. When Debbie and George travel, they look for art to bring back to the shop and have plans to start hosting art shows again.
The gallery offers a wide selection of barware. One of the collections offered is Estelle Colored Glassware. The brilliant colors of the glassware are a perfect complement to the art in the shop.
The Gallery carries items that represent the area. “I love promoting Opelika and Auburn,” Debbie says, as she has customers who are visiting for golf, pickleball and sports events.
Now that the shop has reopened, Debbie is looking forward to showing off the beautifully restored, historic building and the eclectic variety the shop has to offer.
Looking back since the fire, she is grateful for things that didn’t happen and did happen. “I am ready to look ahead,” Debbie says. “I am totally grateful for our community and our amazing fire department. The response of the fire department was lightning fast and because of their heroic skill, the fire was contained to the footprint of Mafia’s.
“Everything has a silver lining,” Debbie adds. “You just have to wait for it!”
The Gallery on Railroad is locate 809 South Railroad Avenue in historic downtown Opelika. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
