Joanne Grassman, owner of Stoughton woodworking space and gallery Grand Inspired, has always wanted to restore an historic building.
The former Madison School District special education administrator made that dream a reality last year after purchasing a structure on 501 E. Main St. that stood vacant for almost a decade.
The building was in rough shape, said Grassman’s son and Grand Inspired co-owner Darren Bell. The basement with its dirt floor was flooded, and the roof almost nonexistent, he said. The building is the former home of Doughboy Feeds, as well as an auto showroom in the early 20th century.
Over the course of a year, and thanks to investments from the state and city, Grassman and her family transformed the dilapidated space into a membership-based workshop and art gallery displaying the furniture, pottery and ceramics of curated woodworkers and artisans.
