MASSILLON – Chunks of bricks and roofing were falling fast early Tuesday as the demolition began for two vacant downtown buildings owned by the city.
About a dozen people viewed part of the crumbling at 10 Lincoln Way E and 28 Erie St. N shortly after 10 a.m. outside of Krackpots Comedy Club , which is located across the street from the demo site.
“It’s pretty amazing to see. This is like history,” said Vincent Arrington, a city resident and 1974 graduate of Washington High School , who was snapping a series of cellphone pictures between clouds of dust.
William Kraft, the former Massillon building chief, was watching from inside his pickup parked along Lincoln Way.
“It’s progress in motion,” said Kraft about the work. “They’re just old buildings ‒ empty and deteriorating.”
Mandy Stahl, archivist for the Massillon Museum , was taking photos of the falling buildings for museum records. She said she was disappointed to see the structures coming down.
Shahl said the museum was able to secure some historic items such as a gas chandelier and tin window decor.