The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
American Legion building to be demolished
Investigators have not determined cause of Feb. 10 blaze
By Christine Laughren, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 17, 2008
The sign has been taken down and the cannon has been moved in preparation for the demolition of the American Legion Hall at 115 S. Huron St.
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The building, which has served as the American Legion post since 1921, was destroyed by a fire Feb. 10.
Ypsilanti Fire Chief Jon Ichesco said the cause of the fire has not been determined but the department hopes the demolition will shed some light as to the cause of the fire.
"As it comes apart piece by piece, we're going to take a look at it to get an indication of why the fire started," Ichesco said.
The fire chief said the freezing temperatures and the ice accumulation the night the fire took place slowed his department down.
"(The building) burned so well and we put so much water on it...makes it hard to determine the cause," he said.
Two months after the fire, glass and charred remains of the building still surround the property. Very little of the original structure can be made out from the back of the building, where the blaze is believed to have started.
Ichesco said the last person out of the building stated he left at about 10 p.m. The fire chief estimated the blaze started at approximately 11 p.m.
The department was notified of flames coming out the back of the structure at 11:38 p.m.
Joe Jamnick, a longtime member of the American Legion met with Mick McCorack, owner of McCorack construction, Monday morning to tour the property and discuss the next steps to be taken.
McCorack said no date has been set for the demolition. He said he has to wait for the utilities to be shut off before he can begin.
Ichesco said the insurance company usually foots the bill for getting the utilities shut off. He said he is not sure how long the process will take.
"The utility companies have to provide a certificate verifying everything is shut off and that could take some time," Ichesco said.
In the meantime McCorack said he plans to put up a fence to ensure nobody is injured by the crumbling building.
Jamnick said the American Legion is meeting at the VFW post in Ypsilanti. He said the post is not yet sure what it is going to do with the property.
The fire department estimates the damage at $400,000. However, numerous priceless items were engulfed in the flames as well.
The losses include pictures of the complete line of post commanders back to the 1920s, books, pictures, trophies, memoirs of war experiences, memorabilia from the Spanish-American War and documentation of Ypsilanti veterans going back at least as far as World War I.
One important item also lost in the flames is the post's charter, which was hanging on a wall in the basement. The basement is now filled with the debris of the building, which fell into it as the structure collapsed.
Freelance Writer Kathleen Conat contributed to this story.
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