Hartselle native Susan Stewart Greayer, right, was delighted when she visited Hartselle last weekend and found that Nancy Phelps, left, and husband Billy had purchased the building her late father, William H. Stewart Sr., had built in 1948 as the town’s new Chevrolet dealership. | Clif Knight

Returning to her hometown for a rare visit turned out to be a pleasant surprise for Hartselle native Susan Stewart Greayer of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., last weekend.

While driving through town Sat., Aug. 3, Mrs. Greayer’s eyes were drawn to an old building on North Sparkman Street, a building her late father, William H. “Bill” Stewart Sr., had built in 1948 as a new location for his Chevrolet dealership.

“I was delighted to see it occupied after being closed for a long time,” she said. “I stopped to inquire and met Billy Phelps. He told me he and his wife Nancy purchased the building from the Abercrombie family and were in the process of renovating it for an antique mall and art studio. He graciously invited me to come back the following Monday to meet his wife and take a guided tour.”

“Nancy is energetic, knowledgeable and has some good ideas for the business,” Greayer added. “I wish for them the best in their new business venture.”

Greayer said she was 12 when her father invited townspeople for the building’s grand opening.

“It was a beautiful building and lots of people came to take a look and inspect the new cars,” she recalled.

After graduating from college, Greayer moved to California where she met her husband, Wes, and pursued a career as a junior high school teacher.

“When I come back I enjoy driving the streets and looking at some of the old homes that I admired when I was growing up,” she said. “Hartselle is fortunate to still have a lot of fine homes that have changed very little over the years.”