Click on above picture to go to Memorial Hall Web Site!!
Help Us Save Veterans Memorial Hall. Built 1892 by, "The Grand Army of The Republic, (G.A.R.)."
Our Story Below
Help Us Save Veterans Memorial Hall !!!
HOW ??
We need your help ! The City of Ironton, Oh. is returning the Grand Old Building ( Veterans Memorial Hall ) back to us. American Legion Post # 433.
We have formed a separate corporation and on April 16, 2009 we were approved by the IRS as a Public Charity ( 501 (co) (3). The corporation name is, Veteran's Memorial Hall Restoration Fund, Inc. This means we qualify for donations from organizations like yours. If you choose not to contribute or raise funds for us, then we respectfully ask that you consider the next paragraphs an alternative.
The next time you go to the post, pull a dollar out of your pocket, give it to an officer or the adjutant. Have them hold the money until it accumulates into something worth mailing to us.
There are 3.2 million American Legion members in this country, If everyone gave a buck, problem solved. There also are currently about 7.9 million veterans in all service related groups in the US.
Our website is www.irontonohlegionpost433.org. On our website we have much more information about this project. Including endorsement from several newspapers, the local government officials, and on the cities website their is a request from the Mayor to donate to us. Their is a link on the cities website that takes you to ours. Also, on our website their is a link that takes you to Belgium. There, they do endorse our efforts.
The now outgoing State Commander of the Legion fully endorses this project and has now transferred to our post to help us with this effort.
" NOW THE HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT HERE "
This magnificent structure was built by the G.A.R. ( Grand Army of The Republic). It was built for the soldiers and sailors both living & dead. In addition, they made a point in the editorials and all speakers from that time, that it also was for all future generations of veterans to come.
General Hurst stated in his closing remarks at the dedication of the building in 1892 the following: " I surrender it to you for the use and occupation of The Dick Lambert Post 165, Grand Army of the Republic in The Department of Ohio, my comrades all. So long as their organization shall survive, may peace and love abide with them and may they for many years to come, meet here in unity, and look out upon the happiness and prosperity of our beloved country from their future home".
Everything was fine for the next four decades plus. Except for a fire which destroyed most of the buildings interior including the 900 seat auditorium. Also the building was struck by lighting. In both cases full repairs were made.
As the veterans passed on from the Civil War a new veterans organization was formed in 1919 and took over the building. That group wasThe American Legion Post # 59. They maintained the building and kept true to her origins from 1919 until 1955. Then they lost their charter from the state.
Their was a little known clause in the deeds of the property. It was a reverter clause. This clause gave the City if Ironton the ability to care and control the building if veteran activity ceased to exist in the building.
The City did more than control the building, they moved all offices and functions of the city into the building. Even though the deed restrictions strictly prohibited this, they moved in. The city government stayed in the building until about 1992. They did only very essential repairs. Eventually the building became unserviceable and the city moved to a new location.
The building set empty and unkept for many years. They had even considered destroying the building, but public opinion was against them. Finally, the light went on. On October 27,2008 the mayor and a couple of councilmen paid a visit to our American Legion monthly meeting. They didn't have to go far, we are using space in the city building as long as it is available.They said they would give us back the building if we agreed to restore her and bring her back to current building codes. We agreed.
The total cost per our architect is $ 3.5 million. We have already had the roof removed and all the asbestos removed. The roof had to go because there were five layers there. Total weight of those layers was fifty tons. The building was not designed to carry that amount of weight. Even though it is a stone building with walls three feet thick.
Our next target is $ 500,00. That will replace the roof and put in new steel super-structure and concrete footings on the inside of the building. It also will remove all the existing timbers and contents on the inside. They are no longer serviceable. From that, the building will start to become functional again.
We had a movie made about the Hall. It is available on DVD. You can contact us from our email addresses on the website. www.irontonohlegionpost433.org If you want to send a donation direct.
Send it to:
PNC Bank, 110 S. 4th Streeet, Ironton,Oh. Make your check payable to: Veterans Memorial Hall Restoration Fund.
If you want to contact me direct via mail: Send to: Commander
406 N. 5th Street
Ironton,Oh. 45638
That's our story.
Jim Volgares Commander, American Legion Post 433 Ironton
Bill Jordan Adjutant
Tom McClain 1st Vice Commander
