To see an eyesore blossom into an asset, watch the video that captures the former Wainwright family home transformed into a beautiful office with great features.

YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK

Editor’s Note: The Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a ribbon cutting tomorrow for Elite Automotive beginning at 10 a.m. The community is invited to come and see the property.

BY KARIN HOPKINS

SPECIAL TO THE ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS

Top Photo: Jeff Wainwright appreciates everything that has been done to remember his grandparents. He is standing with the marker that is now on the house.

Jeff Wainwright has fond memories of his childhood home in Prattville. He also lovingly recalls that his grandmother, the late Bessie Wainwright, owned and operated several businesses on lots adjacent to the house. Over time, sections of the property were sold off and other portions slipped into decline, including the three-bedroom sanctuary that was once filled with love and laughter.

Jeff and many of his relatives recently reunited there to see the changes that have been made by construction workers who transformed the house into the Prattville location of Elite Automotive Group, a car dealership that specializes in pre-owned luxury imports and trucks. This reunion was like a backyard barbecue with a festive atmosphere and lots of family reflections.

William Daniel Wainwright Sr. died at an early age, leaving Bessie to raise their only son William Daniel Wainwright, Jr. or uncle Possie as he was affectionately called by his nieces. At the barbecue, held under a tent next to the former family home, the main meal consisted of ribs, baked beans and potato salad with an assortment of desserts. Memories of the good old days added extra spice.

Dora Dozier talked about her aunt Bessie’s recreational vices. “Oh, she loved to play poker and let me tell you, she smoked until the ashes were as long as the cigarette.” Another niece, Geneva Wainwright, said her aunt Bessie had a big heart “It would be something to know how many people lived with her. If somebody needed a place to stay she brought em’ in and she fed em’ three meals a day.”

This is a family that has maintained close ties over many generations with elders who provided a sturdy backbone to the family. Jeff said Rozell, who is general manager of Elite Automotive Group, reminds him of his grandmother, “She was always a hard-working person, always willing to help people and I saw that in you when you were working on that house—same traits that she had, her work ethics, I see that in you.” Jeff continued, saying “I want to tell you publicly how much I appreciate what you’ve done cuz’ the house would still be sitting there dilapidated without you coming here and doing all that work on it.”

Wrapping up his remarks, Jeff said he initially called Rozell “crazy” for committing to the extensive repairs but now he calls him a gift from God. After everyone toured the renovated house, a dedication was held revealing a marker that reads “Built in 1947 as Homestead of William and Bessie Wainwright—Restored in 2022 by Elite Automotive Group.”