Restoring an Afton building’s history

AFTON - On the southwest corner of the Afton square sits a business with three doors, one to a boutique, another to a cafe, and another up the stairs on the side of the building to an apartment and Airbnb location.

A painted banner above the building reads “Rexall Drugs Prescriptions,” but Rexall hasn’t been a part of the building in decades. Just below lists “antiques, flowers, gifts, ice cream, malts, sandwiches,” which was borrowed from the building’s previous owner.

The bricks around the building have been removed, relayed and transformed. The ceilings of the boutique and cafe have been raised and recovered in tin panels.

Since the building’s construction in 1890, it has been home to apartments, a drugstore, a dentist’s office, a butcher’s shop and more. “The Roost,” despite not having a large sign, is the latest business in the southwest building, established after the owner, Jennifer Seales, purchased the previous business, “The Purple Cow.”

Seales, an Afton resident since 1974, had grown up watching the building change, remembering the time it was a drug store. A self-proclaimed history buff, she can point at every corner of the building and recite a part of its history, either from renovations she’s made or what she remembered as a resident of Afton for 50 years.

The Roost is a cafe, offering “Grace, Gifts, [and] Gifts,” according to the tagline. Inside the store is a bar for coffee, sandwiches, soups, ice cream and salads. To the right is an old candy shelf, which Seales bought and restored. Several items in the building are rich in historical value, even if they’re not in active use. An old soda fountain sits in the basement, one of the remnants from the building’s past.

In the back of the building is a small convenience store, something Seales said is helpful for residents in Afton. Convenience items like bug spray and clothes help supplement those who live in Afton without the need to travel to Creston for supplies.

The name of the cafe comes from Seales and her family, who hobby farm and have presented animals in county fair competitions. Seales herself was a 4-H leader for 11 years. Her family showed cattle, horses, pigs and chickens, which helped give Seales inspiration for the name of her cafe.

“I wanted that farm theme,” she said. “When I was coming up with a name for the business, I was having a heck of a time. One of my son’s exgirlfriends, said ‘why don’t you call it The Roost?’ I landed with [the name] and here we are.”

Sandwiches and coffee help retain a part of the building’s history. The cafe is also part of the Connections Cafe program, which gives Iowans who are at or over the age of 60 affordable meal options. The program has been active in other areas such as the 3 C’s Diner in Corning and the Olive Branch in Greenfield.

On the east end is the Jennifer Seales Salon & Boutique, which Seales runs herself. Alongside all cosmetology needs are flowers and other gifts.

Above the cafe is an apartment building, which has seen all kinds of arrangements in its over-a-century life. Most notable was the space used as a dentist’s office, all the way back in the 1910s to one Dr. Stryker. When entering the landing, a slight slope gives way to the age of the building, a reminder of a century of use.

Up the stairs on the west side of the building is a small apartment is now used as an Airbnb location. Titled “The Loft,” the apartment gives an elevated view of the south side of Afton, along with rooms to sleep and relax for those who visit the town.

A mural is in the process of being chalked on the west side of the building, calling back to an original mural on the brick which read “Gooch’s Pancake Flour.” It’s an example of what Seales values in the building she know works.

“I don’t want to get rid of the history,” said Seales. “That’s the hard part about me, I don’t want the history of the building to leave the building.”