Reimagining Reddick

“After it was built, Florida Power and Light came into town and rented it out for several years before my grandparents moved in after marrying,” said Reuben, who has two children, Eric and River, with Tina. The family lives on a farm near Greenville, South Carolina. 

In 2020, Reuben and Tina purchased the home from Rueben’s parents Steve and Delana Aiton, also of South Carolina, who had inherited the property in 1987 but could no longer take care of it. The renovated home is currently an Airbnb – when the family is not in town visiting. 

“Reddick has the spirit of my family in it,” said Aiton, who serves as director of all mentoring programs and mentor certification at Life Changing Services, an addiction recovery company in Utah. “I grew up often going there for visits throughout my childhood and fell in love with the house and area again.”  

Forgotten by time

Settled by Ulric and Sarah Reddick and their three sons Samuel, John and George, who moved to the area between 1850 and 1860, Reddick was once a bustling, vibrant community, especially after it became a railroad stop between Gainesville and Ocala in the 1880s. 

The restored dining room in the Aiton family home is shown in Reddick on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. The family has purchased the historic Reddick Presbyterian Church, which they plan to restore through their Reddick Preservation and Growth Foundation non-profit.

Agriculture was king and the railroad provided a quick way for vegetables to be shipped up north. Reddick grew, and prosperity reigned; there was a hotel, stores, schools, churches and an increasing population. 

However, over the past 60 years or so, like so many other small towns in the Sunshine State, Reddick has been seemingly forgotten by time and progress, with little to no growth and a multitude of homes and buildings falling into disrepair. 

The Aitons hope to change that, beginning with the tiny Presbyterian church. 

Constructed in 1887 by members of the congregation and townsfolk, including some of Reuben’s ancestors, the beloved local landmark sits on a corner lot on Northwest 42nd Terrace, one block off Northwest Gainesville Road, the town’s main roadway. 

Extensive repairs to the 900-plus-square-foot building, bought for just $55,000 due to its state of disrepair, along with the renovation of the fellowship hall, built in 1950, and improvements to the grounds and landscaping, will likely cost around $500,000.

The couple plan to transform the church into the Still Waters Chapel, a financially self-sustaining venue for public and private events, including weddings and other social gatherings. 

“It might not be economically practical, but it is salvageable,” said Aiton of the church. “The church was built by a lot of my family, and we will find a way for it to thrive with a successful business model in mind.” 

Renovations to the church have not started yet, but once they are completed, the duo plan to offer free visiting hours for those desiring a sacred place to pray and feel closer to God, said Aiton. The couple is seeking donations from individuals and organizations for the church’s restoration. 

Hopes for a town revival

The funds generated by the chapel, along with any other donations made to the foundation, will be used to purchase and renovate other structures in town.

Each building renovated will have a specific use in mind and an economic model that will generate more funds for the foundation. Think retail or coffee shop, eatery, charming antique store, salon or another Airbnb. The monies will be used to further drive preservation and growth projects in the area. 

The Aiton family, from left, Reuben, Tina, Eric and River outside the historic Aiton 1924 home that they recently restored in Reddick on Tuesday, May 30, 2023.

“We would love to preserve the old history of Reddick,” said Aiton. “It was a booming little town, always quaint and small, and it always had a good quality of people. It’s really sad to see so many of its buildings going into a state of dilapidation.”  

Reddick’s newly elected Mayor John Vetter likes the Aitons’ vision and supports improvements to the town, known for its streets lined with grandfather oaks and laid-back character. 

“Reddick needs a good overhaul; something needs to be done,” said Vetter, a New York native who moved to the area four years ago from St. Petersburg. “Make it so when you drive through town you would want to move here.

Meanwhile, the foundation would also like to acquire the vacant and decaying The Reddick State Bank, just one street over from the church, as well as the old town jail, said Aiton. The two buildings are the only remaining structures from Reddick’s early days; most of them burned down after a fire swept through during the Great Depression, according to Stroup. 

The Aitons would also like to build a replica of the town’s old train depot, which was located across from the bank, and was moved to McIntosh in the early 1980s. 

“We’d like to turn the bank into a museum, honoring Reddick’s past,” said Aiton. The Town of Reddick owns the bank and Stroup said he is not sure the foundation will be able to acquire it but liked the idea of a museum. 

In the meantime, the Aitons have also purchased the property adjacent to their farmhouse and would like to buy the building across Northwest Gainesville Road, a former circa 1920 Ford dealership. 

As for the future, Aiton sees momentum growing with his neighbors. Several of them cleaned up their properties following the renovation of his family’s homestead. 

“Our place was the first place in years to have an investment put into it,” he said. “And now our neighbors are joining in, too.” 

He hopes others in town will share in his and Tina’s enthusiasm to invigorate the town and breathe life back into it.

“I think once people see how committed we are and some results, they’ll come on board,” he said. “That’s the key.”

Those interested in helping with the preservation and restoration of the Reddick Presbyterian Church or other preservation and restoration projects of the foundation can contact Reuben Aiton, president of the foundation, at (630) 636-1013 or by email at Aiton0108@gmail.com. All donations to the foundation are tax deductible.