The Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce held an unveiling party last night to honor the individuals and companies who supported the Chamber’s “Investing For The Next Century” capital campaign in 2015. The campaign raised nearly $600,000 to make improvements to the Barber House and to help support the SEEDS Business Resource Center.

Guests were treated to a candlelight buffet provided by Covington’s Catering as more than 100 donors toured the house. Carla Penny, Chairman of the Barber Trust Advisory Board, welcomed the group and invited them to witness the improvements and celebratory plaques denoting their investment. Improvements included: newly remodeled bathrooms, a new roof, exterior paint, a new website for the SEEDS Business Resource Center and funds for the Business Incubator Study. Work on the Barber House is fifty percent complete, with more interior work and landscaping left to be done.

In addition to the 69 name plaques, were portraits of two local business leaders. Stifel commissioned a portrait honoring Johnny B. Lastinger, former Executive Vice President of the Chamber and founder of Valdosta Magazine and the W.P. “Billy” Langdale Foundation made a generous donation to the Chamber honoring its namesake. Members of the W.P. Langdale family were present to unveil the portrait, which “will hang in the Barber House as long as it stands,” said James McGahee, Chamber Board member.

The Barber House is on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public for complimentary tours Monday through Friday.