The 100-year-old building sits across the tracks next to the post office—it looks like a house, but it functions as an office building. It’s called the Faucette House, and it has been sold. The four tenants who run businesses inside the house have to move out by the beginning of October. 

Draw the blinds, turn on the music, make up the bed and clear his head. That’s how Joey McDaniel prepares for every client at WhatKnots massage in Faucette House. McDaniel is a disabled Army veteran and first saw a massage therapist to recover from injuries he suffered while serving at Fort Bragg.  

Besides the physical benefits massage therapy brings, McDaniel said it calms his mind too. But that calmness was disrupted the day he learned his office building, where he had worked out of for four years, was being sold. 

“You would think something like that would be told to you,” McDaniel said. 

But he wasn’t told — he found out himself while on the internet. He consulted the other business owners in the building, and when they talked to the owner of the building Della Faucette, she confirmed the building was being sold.

“It was a very big surprise for me and the rest of the tenants in place to find out that way,” McDaniel said. 

McDaniel said he quickly moved past shock and into project mode. 

“I have a job to do so I need to figure out what my plan B is,” he said.

He’s plan B is to relocate. He has teamed up with one of the other tenants to run their separate businesses out of the same office space in Burlington. 

“I’m not scared of change,” McDaniel said. 

This change of ownership was inevitable, Faucette said. Her plan was to sell the building as she started to age. She also owns the hair salon, one of four businesses inside. She’s owned the building and run her businesses for decades. 

She said she’s watched the house itself and the town of Elon change and improve. She’s watched most of this change from a rocking chair on the front porch — her favorite part of the building. 

“I think I love the house, and I am going to sell it. It's going to be a little sad because it is so pretty. And I hope the new tenants keep it as nice as it is, and they love it as much as I do,” Faucette said. 

The new owner is a childrens counseling group that has various offices in North Carolina. Faucette said the group was specifically looking for an old house, and it plans to keep it running as an office building.

In McDaniel’s new building on South Church Street, he said he will continue as normal. 

“Do a great job, be nice to people, and they’ll follow you and come where you’re at,” Mcdaniel said. 

He said he isn’t worried about losing business. He is encouraging his local clients, 70% of which are Elon University students, faculty and staff, to come see him at his new location. He also thinks being in a downtown location will attract new customers. Plus, he said his rent downtown will be cheaper than what he is paying now. 

To book an appointment with McDaniel, visit his website.