May 28, 1999
Bascom's power house, a piece of history soon to be history
By Malinda Ruble
Staff Writer
In the 1800s, moving from place to place in the county was slow and often difficult. But the one thing that helped many move across the county was the Tiffin and Fostoria and Eastern Electric Railroad system in Bascom.
Today, all that remains from the rail line that connected Fostoria to Tiffin is the power house building on SR 18. But soon that final piece of history may become just a memory.
The power house provided power for not only the trolley system, but in later years, provided power for the Gem Manufacturing plant. The development of the system prompted the later development of Meadowbrook Park.
Today, the Hopewell Township trustees, who purchased the former power house as part of the Gem site, are considering demolishing the building.
"We're considering it (burning the building). We've talked to (Bascom Fire Chief) Joe Brandt and he is in the process of going to the EPA to have a controlled burn,'' said Hopewell Township Trustee Dick Gosche.
However, Gosche said no firm decisions have been made as to when the building will be demolished.
Until recently, the building housed the Bascom Woodshop. The business has moved into the former Thermo Gas building on SR 18.
Gosche said the decision for the demolition is based on finances and health concerns for the public.
"It's the costs involved. The roof is in terrible shape; there is water coming through the roof. The whole building is in need of repair ... even the windows. I don't see that it's feasible to fix up,'' he said.
However, the trustees have not requested estimates to determine the cost to repair the building.
"It's more of a health hazard than anything,'' he said.
Gosche said he was not aware of anyone being injured at the site or any children playing in the vacant building.
At one time, some local citizens considered placing the building on the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Register is the "official list of properties recognized by the federal government as worthy of preservation for their local, state, or national significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture.''
However, the 100-year-old structure was never registered.
Since the property is owned by the trustees, officials from the Ohio Historical Preservation office said there is little that can be done to prevent the demolition.
"Even if it was on the historical register, the owners can still do that. One thing that people can do is to try to get a group of people to talk with the trustees &emdash; find out what their needs are and if this building can be reused to meet those needs &emdash; try to get them to think or discuss what can be done with the property,'' said Barbara Powers, head of the Department of Planning and National Register at the Ohio Historical Preservation Office.
If the decision were made to reuse the building, Powers said there may be some grants available for the rehab of the building, depending on the use of the structure.
"The first step is for the group to talk to the township trustees before they get too far in their plan,'' she said.
However, Gosche said he has not heard any citizen input &emdash; for or against &emdash; the demolition.