A historic West Plains building located off of Court Square that was gutted by fire in a pre-dawn blaze in February will be demolished this week.
West Plains Public Relations Coordinator Cody Sanders said demolition of the former home of Powell-Crews Title and Escrow, 112 E. Main St., will begin this morning and continue through the week.
Sanders said the city will close East Main Street starting at 6 a.m. today, from Court Square to Walnut Street behind the West Plains Bank and Trust building, for the demolition.
The road should be reopened by Friday afternoon, he said.
The demolition of the historic building comes after a major fire gutted the building and damaged two adjoining buildings on Feb. 1.
West Plains Fire Department crews arrived on the scene around 3 a.m. that day. The fire started in the Powell-Crews Title and Escrow building and spread to two other buildings.
It took firefighters until 7 a.m. to contain the fire, Sanders told the Daily Quill at the time. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
There were no casualties as a result of the fire, but one firefighter was transported to an area hospital with a minor injury, West Plains Chief of Police Steve Monticelli said in an interview following the incident in February.
Seventeen agencies responded to the fire, while area businesses donated food and drinks for crews.
Local and area fire departments and public safety agencies that provided mutual aid included the West Plains Police Department, South Howell County Ambulance, Howell Rural Fire District No. 1 and Pomona and White Church fire departments.
A TRAUMATIC HISTORY
fire happened in the same spot on April 13, 1928, when a mysterious explosion occurred in the garage of the Wiser Motor Co., on East Main Street, which wrecked the Bond dance hall on the second floor of the building where a dance was in progress, city staff said.
The West Plains Daily Quill covered the dance hall explosion, and reported in 1928 that 37 people died and 22 others were injured as a result of the explosion.
Nearly all of the dead and injured were those attending the dance, and members of a small orchestra who gave the dance and who were providing the music.
The official cause of the explosion to this day remains unknown; however, in the aftermath of both fires, local businesses and community members banded together to help those in need.
Powell Crews Title and Escrow has since moved to a new location at 38 Court Square in the West Plains Opera House building.
The title company is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
