The idea of an event venue started being tossed around our family in early 2014. Earl Stone, grandfather of Stacy Armstrong, had purchased several buildings in the downtown Baldwyn area and the late Gary Stone and daughter Stacy began brainstorming of what they could open in one of the buildings. The old Kirk Hardware building quickly became the perfect one for a venue. Karla and Gary Stone began the demolition and remodel sometime in July 2014. The vision for Blue August was to keep with as much of the original layout as possible. The exposed brick walls are original to the building and a new wooden floor was placed over the original wooden floor. Golden brushed ceiling tiles, which were hand painted by Karla and Gary, are highlighted with beautiful chandeliers. The wooden stained tables, built by Gary, extend around the balcony and proves to be the perfect viewing spot during your events. The remodeling wrapped up and we had our first wedding in March 2015. Blue August has been hosting weddings and receptions, proms, bridal and baby showers, and meetings for the last five years.
Blue August is owned and operated by Karla Stone and Stacy Armstrong. Karla Roellgen Stone is widow of Gary Stone and daughter of Dorothy and John Roellgen of Baldwyn. Karla has three children, Kristen (Tony) Hall, Stacy (Nick) Armstrong, and Paden (Breanna) Stone all of Baldwyn. Stacy is wife of Nick Armstrong and together they have three children, Avrie, Darbi and Hank. We all worship at Friendship Baptist Church. Karla and Stacy both serve as Sunday school teachers in the church. Stacy earned her degree and works part time as a registered diagnostic medical sonographer at Parkgate Pregnancy Clinic in Tupelo.
I am extremely proud of Baldwyn and how much our town has developed over the years. I remember as a child, there being 2 or 3 actual stores downtown; now, it’s a common occurrence to only see 1or 2 vacant buildings. It gives me great pride when local and out of town people choose Blue August to host their events.
“Blue August is a true example of leaving a meaningful legacy through historic preservation,” said Baldwyn Main Street Chamber Director, Lori Tucker. “The late Gary Stone understood this and worked hard to make it happen. The positive impact Blue August has on our historic downtown is truly amazing. The building is a work of art filled with history. The rebirth of this historic building truly tells the story of why downtowns need a ‘gathering place.’ The building brings people together for many joyful occasions in a charming, southern style atmosphere. My daughter, Devin, celebrated her wedding in this building as many ours have and it continues to bring joy to the downtown. I feel, Gary’s vision for this building was all about “people coming together and enjoying life.”
For information on becoming a member of the Baldwyn Main Street Chamber, call 662-365-1050.
