NORWAY – A temporary eyesore has been made beautiful by a group of sixth-graders from the Rowe Elementary School.

“We decided to hang them here to make it prettier,” explained student Paige Kimball as she and about 10 other students from the school’s Future Leaders program tacked up large murals they made to a temporary storefront at Main Street Furniture and Appliances Wednesday morning.

Frank Shorey, owner of Main Street Furniture and Appliances, said the grade school was challenged to come up with an idea to de-emphasize the plywood front covering construction of an updated and stylish new facade for the nearly 60-year-old building.

“We decided to make the four seasons,” said Kimball of the murals that each depict a different season. “We thought it would be colorful.”

Once completed in February, the new facade will update the 1950s front to include a hunter green glass front instead of the 1950s brushed aluminum, ceramic and tile.

“It’s going to be beautiful,” said Dan Allen, general contractor. The foot print doesn’t change but the aesthetics are brought up a lot. Many elements are brought into current style.”

Allen, of Allen & Company of Paris, said the design went through an approval process to ensure its compliance with a Main Street facade grant criteria.

A doctor’s office in a residential home was formerly located on the site of Main Street Furniture and Appliances. That building was torn down in 1950, when the current brick building was constructed.

Students participating in the project were: Kelynn Laliberte, Benjamin Morton, Alyssa Emerson, Kelcey Robichaud, Abigail Bennett, Paige Kimball, Sam Donatelli and Joe Ferracci. They were accompanied to the site by assistant principal Kim Ramharter. Art teacher Eva Kozun worked with the students on the project.