As the flames die out, and the clean up begins, citizens in Erwin are starting to see just how much they lost in Wednesday night's fire. Not only was the Old Town Hall the tallest building in Erwin, it also held a special place in the heart of many who live there.
The county stored its first fire truck, and first horse drawn pumper truck, in the first floor of Old Town Hall. They are both gone now, along with countless documents the county had been storing at the site. The Masonic Lodge located on the building's top floor also lost a lot of historical items, including some Civil war era weapons.
Perhaps the second floor will be missed most. An old style theatre was located there. It was used up until the early 1950's for graduations, plays, and concerts. Students and faculty at Unicoi County High School were in the process of renovating the auditorium, hoping to restore to its past glory. Now those hopes have gone up in flames.
Lori Ann Wright and Amy Edwards are the two teachers spearheading the project. They both found out about the fire, and came to the scene with tears in their eyes. Their students came up to them while watching the fire burn, knowing that their dream for this theatre, would never become a reality.
Chelsea Hoilman, a Senior at Unicoi County High School, was hoping to one day make sets and paint scenes for plays at the theatre. She wanted the theatre project for the entire Unicoi County Community. "Just to have someplace like Abingdon, like the Barter Theatre, or something like that, here in Erwin." ,said Hoilman. She along with her teachers and fellow students are going try another project, somewhere else in Erwin. Hoping to one day turn this tragedy, into a victory for the arts in Unicoi County.
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