BRANCHVILLE - The battle lines are being drawn in the sand.

And the brick and mortar.

"They can condemn it; I ain't going nowhere. My store will be open," Branchville businessman Clifton Ott said of his hardware store and frame shop.

Ott is in the middle of a second dark cloud brewing over Orangeburg County's southernmost community.

The first dark cloud came Saturday night, bringing with it a tornado that unleashed winds estimated between 150 and 165 mph.

The second cloud arrived late Wednesday when county officials partially or completely condemned at least five downtown businesses due to structural stress cracks.

"The buildings here have suffered a whole lot of pressure," says Harold Young, Orangeburg County's deputy administrator for community development. "We understand that this is a long portion of the town, and we're sympathetic. But we have to make sure it's safe."

But that's the rub.

Ott says his business is safe, that very little damage was done when the Category 3 tornado barrelled through the town between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, knocking down entire buildings like bowling pins.

"The only thing it did to my building is ripped the awning off and the sign was hanging down," Ott said. "I still can't believe it. They're going to condemn us. I'll take you out there and show you the cracks. They ain't nothing."

As owner of the hardware store, a picture frame shop and an adjoining structure that once housed a cafe, Ott owns three of the six properties that have been partially or completely condemned.

A couple of doors away, Dukes Farm Supply, which makes up another two buildings dating back at least 100 years, has been condemned.

Those businesses, along with Ott's Grocery across the street, comprise the entire historic business district of the town that lays claim to the title of world's first railroad junction.

It's history, personal history, that will be missed across the street. The town's only grocery store, Ott's Grocery, is on its third generation of descendants, having been open since 1947.

"Got a lot of memories in here," said Chris Ott, co-owner and manager. "But it's got to come down sometime."

Chris Ott said initially he was told by building inspectors that his structure would simply have to be repaired. But a closer look revealed a crack down the building's spine and structure damage on its face.

Through the years, the grocery store saw updates to keep it appearing fresh. Through that, however, it lost its nostalgic look, Ott said, giving his family little desire to see it struggle to survive.

"This building's not worth saving," he said. "It was falling down last night," he said of the awning.

Chris Ott's sister, Amy Bryant, said the worst part about losing the building is that the memories will go with it.

"I grew up here," Bryant said. "Mama used to bring us down here and we'd play in the aisles."

Bryant laughs at the recollection that when she was 7, over on aisle 4, she accidentally sprayed bug repellent in her face.

The siblings said customers drove from as far away as Walterboro, Smoaks and Ehrhardt because of the meat department and the hard-to-find items stocked at the store.

Plans are to rebuild the business before summer's over, Chris Ott said.

Meantime, the grocery store owner sympathizes with the shop owners across the street. Ott said since those buildings were allowed to retain their historical appearance through the years, condemnation should be reconsidered.

And, that's the stance of at least one town council member.

Georgianna Harmon said that even should the stress cracks warrant extensive repair, it should be considered before the historic structures are lost permanently.

"There are a lot of people who do care about preserving," Harmon said. "There's a lot of historical significance to the buildings."

Harmon said an expert in historical structures brought in from Charleston on Wednesday declared the buildings on the eastern side of the street salvageable.

A meeting is planned in Branchville on March 31 with Frank Genello, a professor of masonry at the American College of the Building Arts, along with representatives of State Archives, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Department of Tourism.

That meeting is to discuss potential grants and structural restoration of the buildings.

The county's position, Young said, is to ensure the safety of patrons of the businesses. If the businesses were to make the necessary repairs or have a second opinion declaring the structures safe, would the county be happy?

"Fine by me," Young said. "We're not trying to stir up anything. We're trying to work with the citizens of Branchville."

But the 100-year-old hardware store and frame shop are as stout as ever, Clifton Ott says.

"It's three bricks thick," Ott said. "It's stronger than what people think."

T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5516.

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