For progress, feed store comes down

A new Walgreens will soon stand in the building's place.
BY JOHN W. GOODWIN, JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- The Bessie Barnes Feed Store stood its ground here for 145 years, but dozens of residents turned out Thursday to see the old building come down.
By noon Thursday the windows to the building on East Liberty Street had been removed, the inside was all but gutted, and large equipment stood ready to tear the building apart.
Dozens of long-time residents drove by for a last look at the building while others assembled in a parking lot next door. Some ventured inside to make sure no historic furniture or other artifacts had been left uncollected, but most stood outside with cameras and video cameras ready to catch the action.
Precisely at 1 p.m. crews started tearing apart the building from the rear.
What's coming?
According to Robert Toth, assistant city engineer, the old building will soon be replaced by a new building with a familiar name across the front -- Walgreens. He said Walgreens bought the old building and an adjacent plaza that currently holds a bank, Family Dollar store and Handyman Hardware.
Toth said the Handyman Hardware store will remain, but the rest of the plaza will be torn down.
Walgreens will likely begin construction of the new store early next year. Toth said.
According to information supplied by the Hubbard Historical Society, the Bessie Barnes Feed Store was built sometime around 1860 by French Clingan. Bessie Barnes was an assistant to Clingan and later bought the building from him.
Barnes operated the store until sometime in the early 1980s when it was closed. Most of the residents watching the demolition who could remember Barnes said she was a pleasant person and an asset to the community.
According to Toth, the store set empty for several years, facing deterioration and wind damage that left it listing to one side. Eventually, he said, it was bought by area residents Don and Patricia Shevel.
Toth said the Shevels had wanted to open a small confectionery store on the site and had done considerable work restoring the building before selling to the chain store.
Onlookers
Many of the people gathered outside as the building came down had once shopped at the store. Some said it was sad to see a piece of history go away, but it is necessary to make way for the new.
Resident Tom Nagy said he had shopped at the store for appliances and other items. He said it was time for the building to come down and he is looking forward to seeing the new building in its place.
Mayor Arthur Magee said he, as a young child, worked for Barnes, carrying items to the cars of customers.
Still, the mayor said he is not saddened to see the building come down. He said it is necessary to make way for progress.
jgoodwin@vindy.com