For five decades, 2 tons of cast iron have been collecting rust in the basement of Lang Jewelers in downtown Cape Girardeau, pieces that once served as the centerpiece of the business' historic storefront.

Owners Roger and Judith Anne Lang are now using those pieces of cast iron as part of a project that will replace the storefront, making the 90-year-old business appear much as it did when it first opened its doors.

The Langs' interior remodeling job was completed four years ago, so they turned their attention to the building's front facade.

Naturally, Judith Anne Lang said, they wanted something historical.

"We didn't want a brand-new fancy storefront," she said. "We wanted something that looks charming."

Besides, she said, the Langs -- her husband is the third generation to own the jewelry store -- have long been pack rats. They have bank checks from the 1910s, 100-year-old ring sizers and old log books that lay out the customers and their purchases.

"There's a lot of history here, so why not do the same thing with the front?" she said. "It was just a given. There really was no thought about it. We wouldn't have done it any other way."

The work, with an estimated cost of about $30,000, began last week, though the business will remain open throughout construction, Judith Anne Lang said. Construction work will last about a month and a new awning will be installed over the next 60 days, she said.

Using the cast iron from the basement also helped defray costs.

"The contractor said, 'You can't afford to buy this,'" Judith Anne Lang said, tapping a Polaroid of the cast iron. To buy that much cast iron would cost much more than $50,000, Lang estimated.

The cast iron is in the process of being sand-blasted and primed. Then it will be painted white. A cousin in Paducah, Ky., saved the business' original doors, which will also be put back in place. Three sections of inch-thick insulated glass with black dividers will be installed in the front as well.

Lang Jewelers, at 126 N. Main St., is the oldest family-owned business in Cape Girardeau still operated in the same location by the same family. The jewelry store has been in operation since 1905 when Nick S. Weiler opened it. Weiler died in 1916, and Hugo August Lang, Roger's grandfather, bought the business that same year. Roger's uncle, Hugo August "Jay" Lang II, and Roger's father, Bern Lang, came to the store after serving in World War II. Roger Lang joined the business after college.

The business celebrated its 90th anniversary May 16 and are planning a anniversary/remodeling celebration later this summer.

Roger Lang said he knows his father would be pleased to know that the business was being restored to the way it looked.

"I think they'd like it," he said.

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137