b'Intricate Details: The Hand Building includes an open rotunda highlighted by a dome with intricately designed glass panes set in copper frames.PHOTO CONTRIBUTEDIts a perfect fit, especially for our MITCHELL COUNTYdowntown. WeHAS DEEP ROOTS didnt have enough Give Them A Hand affordable housing in Pelham, and this gives us new L ocated at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 19 and State Road 93,modern housing Pelham is approximately 10 miles south of Camilla. The small rural community with a population of less than 4,000 became a retailopportunities.mecca during the early 20th century, primarily due to the presence of the Hand Trading Company. - JAMES EUBANKSIn 1914, Judson Larrabee Hand, a local businessman, started construction on the massive four-story building, which he patterned after visiting the Marshall Fields Department Store in Chicago, Illinois. For more than a century, the Hand Trading building has been a towering presence in downtown Pelham. When it opened in 1916, the expansive department store sold groceries and clothing to houseware items and farm equipment. As the number of customers declined, the Hand Trading Companynow the Hand Buildingwas forced to close in 1984 and remained primarily vacant. With a building of this size sitting empty, especially for so many years, it casted a large shadow on our community, says Eubanks. Its a big part of our history and a huge centerpiece for our downtown. BUSINESS + CULTURE 59'