Breaking News
Community

Ye Olde Traders Shop in Triadelphia Back Open After Fire

By SHELLEY HANSON 3 min read

Ye Olde Traders, 4427 National Road, Triadelphia, reopened Wednesday after months of renovation following an arson fire last August.

Duane Wease, who co-owns the antique and collectibles shop with his wife, Rhonda Wease, said the building was gutted down to the studs because of the amount of damage from the fire.

Epic Restoration did the restoration work and Wease and friends built back brand new booths for vendors to fill again.

Wease said most of the shop's original vendors have returned to sell their items there again even after losing most of their wares during the fire.

"We have great vendors. They've all come back and loaded us up and we're ready to open," Wease said just minutes before the shop reopened its doors to the public again on Wednesday.

Wease said after the fire occurred the community responded with a lot of caring and support. Their social media page alone got more than 9,000 hits that day, he added.

Since then Wease said they have been keeping people updated on the process of getting the building ready again.

"The feedback has been amazing and wonderful," he said.

Wease described the work done to the building as major. He noted Epic replaced the electrical system, furnace, drywall and more.

"They left us with a white, sterile operating room. It was all white," he said.

The open space was a blank canvas for the Weases to rebuild again. This time they made several of the booths larger than previously, giving vendors more room to display their items.

There are now 12 large booths and eight smaller ones. Some people also just sell items hanging on the walls.

"We definitely appreciate the support of the community and the town," he said, adding the shop has been in business for about eight years.

Rhonda Wease added that it was "a relief" to finally have the shop reopen.

The shop's hours and days of operations have changed some; it is now open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and is closed Sunday-Monday.

Kenneth D. Loudermilk of Columbus was arrested last September and charged with arson for the shop fire. Ohio County Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Turak said Loudermilk agreed to plead guilty to the burglary and breaking and entering charges in exchange for the arson charge being dropped. Loudermilk's sentencing hearing has not yet been set, as he asked for a pre-sentencing investigation report.

Turak said her office will be asking the judge to impose the maximum sentence allowed in this case, which is 2-20 years in prison. The minimum sentence would be probation.

Loudermilk was connected to the fire initially because he sold items from the shop to a pawn shop in Bridgeport that were taken before the fire. Loudermilk is the son of a friend who closed up Ye Olde Traders on Aug. 28. Investigators believed he took the key his mother had to open the shop in order to gain access to the items he stole and then set the place on fire.

Turak said Loudermilk admitted to the burglary, making their case even tighter against him; however, he did not admit to the arson.

Turak said the victims in the case agreed to allow the plea agreement. It is their best chance of getting Loudermilk incarcerated for his crimes, she said.

She noted during the sentencing hearing both sides will be permitted to argue their cases for sentencing periods, and the victims will be allowed to speak as well.

Starting at /week.