KINGDON House in Tavistock has been relaunched following an upgrade.
A £17,000 grant from the Devon and West Somerset Key Fund enabled facilities to be updated and the rooms refurbished — town mayor Norma Woodcock joined trustees, founders and friends for the relaunch this week.
Margaret Bull, chair of the community association, said they were already benefitting from the new facilities.
'We now have much nicer surroundings and these are attracting new hirers — which is our only source of income,' she said.
The house was originally built in 1906 by Arthur Southcombe Parker and was one of the last buildings to be constructed under the Dukes of Bedford.
The former Tavistock Gazette occupied the premises from 1911 to 1974.
The last editor was Eric Kingdon, who started — aged 17 — at the paper in 1923 and was editor for the final 30 years of production.
The building stood empty for three years before a steering committee of what became the community association was set up to acquire and convert.
Mr Kingon was chairman and it was subsequently renamed Kingdon House in his honour.