TROY — The historic building at the center of a legal battle in Miami County is being considered endangered by a statewide historic preservation organization.
The building, located at 112-118 W. Main Street in Troy, was named to Preservation Ohio’s “Most Endangered Historic Sites” list on Thursday.
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A legal back-and-forth between the building’s owner and the city heated up earlier this year when the owner tried to demolish the building early one March morning without city approval. Local historians then raised the alarm and the city obtained an injunction to temporarily stop the demolition.
The city asked that any work, demolition or repair, be done legally and the building’s owner claimed to have explored all options for re-use of the building without success. News Center 7 reported Tuesday that the Miami County Department of Development said the building is a serious hazard.
The Tavern Building, which includes both the old Miami County courthouse and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows building, was damaged by a tornado in January 2020.
Ben Sutherly, president of the Troy Historic Preservation Alliance, said that the group is “grateful to Preservation Ohio for recognizing the plight of this building.”
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“Troy has one of the region’s most beautiful downtowns, the result of a culture of stewardship that spans two centuries. This building can be a key contributor to our thriving downtown in the right hands, and we are committed to preserving it for future generations,” Sutherly said.
Preservation Ohio said that the list has “played a vital role in safeguarding a future for important pieces of Ohio’s past.”
Other local sites included on the list are the Ohmer Garage on First Street in Dayton, Dwight L. Barnes School on Far Hills Avenue in Kettering, and Greentree Tavern in Lebanon.
As for the Tavern Building, the owners and city officials are scheduled to appear in court next on May 24.
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