Community Corner

Demolition Slated for Thursday for Durham Fair Buildings

Presidents' Hall and the Crow's Nest were damaged during the winter of 2011 and will be replaced by new structures.

 

A piece of Durham's history will come crashing down this week. Two pieces actually.

On Thursday, crews are scheduled to begin demolishing Presidents' Hall and the Crow's Nest building, both of which were during the winter of 2011.

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The iconic structures will be torn down starting at 8 a.m., according to fair officals. Signs warning visitors to stay away from the site have already been installed and the public will be kept away from the site during demolition.

Find out what's happening in Durham-Middlefieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Built in 1925, Presidents' Hall was the first permanent building on the fairgrounds and was originally used as a cattle barn. More recently it was home to the baking, as well as arts and crafts exhibits.

The fair offices were located in the Crow's Nest, a two story building overlooking the fairgrounds. The building also housed produce, flowers and children's exhibits prior to the damage.

It's not clear when construction of the new buildings will begin but fair officials have said the new structures will be built at the same location. Initially, the fair planned to increase the square footage of the buildings by about 1,100.


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