BERKEY, Ohio — Nearly five years after flames tore through one of Berkey’s most recognizable gathering spots, Keeler’s Korners is preparing to reopen, bringing renewed life to a building many in the village feared was lost forever.
The small-town corner store, a fixture in the community for generations, was heavily damaged in a September 2021 fire that left the structure charred, broken and smoldering. Today, the building stands rebuilt piece by piece — a symbol of persistence, history and community support.
“It was either tear it down and walk away, or get up and putter away at this and get it rebuilt,” co-owner Gary Keeler said. “That’s what we did.”…