This is the story of the collapse of Darrtown's town hall - as reported in the August 30, 1928 Hamilton (Ohio) Evening Journal.
The article (replicated in three parts below) provides a history of the 1928 event and a history of the building, since its erection in the 1820s.
BELOW: Image of the news article headline
See image of building.
See Kyger home.
"...the ONLY house of worship in the village until..."
Bishop Waldon is a new discovery; his name does not appear in the Chronology of Darrtown Methodist pastors.
The section beneath the following news article provides information about the confirmed location of the town hall.
This 1928 news report also raises this question: Where was the town hall located?
Until the discovery of the 1928 news article (above), there was reason to believe that the Darrtown town hall stood in Lot 31.
As seen at the right, a 1914 map of Darrtown included a hand-written note that placed the town hall in Lot 31.
CONFIRMED LOCATION OF THE DARRTOWN TOWN HALL
Click to see:
HOWEVER... FIVE recently discovered sources ...(listed below) cite the community's use of the town hall and ... place the former town hall in Lot 30, not lot 31.
The personal memory of Dale Bufler places the foundation of the town hall in Lot 30. In a phone conversation with the Darrtown webmaster on March 13, 2023, Dale Bufler recalled playing in Frank and Addie Bufler's yard, as a young boy, where there were stones arranged in a manner, similar to the foundation of a building. Dale shared that his Aunt Addie had flower beds arranged among the stones.
The foregoing facts confirm that the Darrtown town hall stood in Lot 30, which is situated on the northwest corner of the intersection of Darrtown's Apple and Cherry streets.
The 1928 news article (above) refers to the Town Hall being "the property of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bufler." Property records and personal memories confirm that Frank and Addie Bufler lived on Lot 30.
The following information was taken from an article, written by Jim Blount, that appeared in the Hamilton Journal-News, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 1994. “The early histories report Conrad Darr, the town's founder, donated land for a Darrtown Town Hall, which was built in 1826 or 1827. It doubled as a church.” https://darrtown.org/history/early-history.html#top
The 1928 news article (above) also refers to the Town Hall being used for "church socials, entertainments, and other public meetings. This is reflected in the news item seen at the following link. Click to see:
A 1971 news article, displayed at the right, was part of a Darrtown Methodist church history, assembled by Georgetta Nichol.
1
2
3
4
5
FYI ... The content, in the column at the right, also appears as part of the Methodist Church 125th anniversary in 1996.
RIGHT: This is a 2023 aerial photo of the site where the town hall stood.
"...built in 1826 or 1827..."