1990
As of 1990 the old winery stood in silence, broken only by the occasional pigeon flying through the cavernous structure or a group of youngsters prowling about in search of adventure in this most awesome structure. Still when one pondered the site, one saw and heard the echoes of days gone by, the flurry of activity, the shouts of men toiling in the shadows of giant vats, and the life blood of our community flowing through those now empty testaments to a glorious past.
New life was infused in the old winery in 1990 when the Lawton Lions Club purchased the site with the intent to restore and refurbish the stone building as a community center and museum. The Lawton Lions Heritage Inc. and the Lawton Lions Heritage Museum Inc. were established to operate the facility.
Once more people utilize the old structure, young people marvel at it's massiveness, parents question the winery operation and gawk at the architecture, and grandparents reminisce about it's days gone by and the artifacts preserved to explain that history.
People eat, drink, dance, pray, and socialize within it's walls, and once again the old winery has a purpose...