Another downtown building is getting new life, as Donna and Johnny Vaughn prepare the onetime White Cash, later Owen's Menswear Building for their new business, Vaughn's Gallery-Antiques & Uniques. An early November opening is planned.

Donna Vaughn started the predecessor to the business, Rags-to-Riches, in the Roland Coomer Building in mid-October of 1995.

The Vaughns bought the building from the Bank of Columbia. The Vaughns have been a major force in the renovation of downtown Columbia. "It was a major step for us," Mrs. Vaughn said, and jokingly added, "I tell people I've put my husband's money where my mouth is."

About one-fourth of the buildings main floor 1,650 square feet will be occupied by Donna Vaughn's business, which specializes in vintage clothing and unique local crafts.

"I'm really excited about the prospects for the gallery," Mrs. Vaughn said. "Not only will we have the proven line from Rags-to-Riches, but we have an all-star cast of booth operators. I think the people working with us are simply the best in the fields, and a wide range of interests will be satisfied by our presentations.

Booths will also be operated by:

*Aleina and Len Skinner. Mrs. Skinner will offer her jewelry and beadwork. Mr. Skinner will sell Len's hand-illustrated furniture.

*David Pyles and Kenny Farris will fill a room with books, magazines, and other collectibles. The room will have a reading room atmosphere.

Traditions owner Marilyn Sparks and Sue Gibbens will have a combined offering of antiques which will offer primitives and lots of glassware. The booth will be called "Kentucky Treasures."

Margaret Aaron of Rockin-U-Ranch will have a main floor booth with her specialty wreath arrangements, silks, naturals, unique giftwear including Special Events co-ordinated jewelry, and antiques. She will have a photography studio upstairs.

Sheila LaDere, Nashville, will have her design work on display and for sale. Ms. LeDere has designed clothing for Nashville's country music stars.

David and Sally Markle of Journey's End Antiques, Joppa, will have a booth with primitives and other Adair County collectibles.

An exquisite line of hand-picked glassware and furniture, all of the very finest quality, will be offered in a booth carrying the name of the owner. It will be called "The Wanda Hill Collection.

and the remaining ground floor booth has been rented, but details are not ready for publication.

Major work already done on the building includes a new roof, new wiring and lighting installed by Allen Moore Electric, newly painted interior, new windows and window repairs where needed, and new floor coverings.

Mrs. Vaughn said that the store will be open seven days a week before Christmas, opening 10-6 Monday through Saturday, and 1-5 on Sunday afternoons. The store plans to accept credit cards, too.

Vaughn's Gallery will offer unique crafts. "We'll have lye soap, which my mother, Margaret Dunn, makes," Mrs. Vaughn said, "and then there will be art work and frames by Henrietta and Jeff Scott, country flower painting by Shirley Watson, and pottery by Chris Grant.

Mrs. Vaughn will offer gift baskets with specifically Kentucky or strictly Adair County motifs. She will also serve gourmet coffees on the premises and will sell fresh ground specialty coffees for take-home.

Sometime during the coming year, the Vaughns will open the ground floor. "From the interest we had with the Square-level booths, we shouldn't have any trouble filling the ground floor," Mrs. Vaughn said.