The Well opened Jan. The couple have long seen a need for a space where young people can hang out. The Scullys hope the supportive atmosphere will give kids a positive space in a world that can seem filled with too many negatives. The coffeehouse is actually a rebirth of an adult fellowship cafe that launched about nine years ago in the basement of the Mars Hill Full Gospel Assembly, the couple said.
People brought food there, then kids started coming. But it closed during the pandemic. With so many choices in the world around them, kids need a safe place to gather where they can talk to each other and to adults who believe in them, Ashlee Scully said.
But, recognizing some people might be uncomfortable coming to a church, they wanted the cafe to be non-religious and have its own space. They formed The Well as a nonprofit organization in , established a board of directors and bought the former Mars Hill House of Pizza at 41 Main St.
Department of Agriculture in They hired a contractor and started small, fixing the chimney and removing walls. The community rallied behind them, Ashley Scully said. A local resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, gave them a new heating system and countertops. Someone else paid for the flooring, and installers donated their time. Then they discovered that the building, which had once been a bank, was hiding a treasure: original ornate tinwork above the dropped ceiling.
So [we were] restoring and preserving this beauty. They painted the ceiling black, and installed suspended lights with ceiling fans to circulate air and heat. They added comfy furniture, simple tables and screens for video games. For the kitchen area, they bought cabinets at a local business on clearance. Last year, progress halted. There were construction delays, and supply costs had risen so they needed more money to finish the job.
