Goodrich- After a devastating fire ripped through the Goodrich House apartment complex at the corner of Hegel Road and Clarence Street in the early morning hours of Sept. 27’the 160-year-old village landmark may now succumb to demolition crews.
‘It’s not 100 percent conclusive, but right now the intent is to demolish the building,? said Chris Harris, property manager for the Goodrich apartment building owned by Goodrich Property, LLC. ‘The cost factor of the old building is just too great. The structure is just not repairable for what it’s worth. The property would be a vacant lot when it’s done’perhaps just a parking lot.?
Harris said the residents of the apartment complex had an opportunity to remove personal items from the structure. The project should be completed in the next two to three months, said Harris.
According to residents, the structure included eight apartments, with seven occupied when the fire started. All occupants exited the building safely.
Atlas Township firefighters responded to the building about a half block north of the fire station, following a 9-1-1 call. Township Fire Department Capt. Jeff Slagle said when firefighters arrived, flames were rolling from the second story window on the south end of the building. Fire departments from Brandon and Davison townships also responded to the fire. Michigan State Police Fire investigators determined the cause of the fire to be electrical. Injured in the fire were Nathan Lintz, 4, and Bodie Lintz, 2, who received burns when they exited their second story apartment where they lived with parents Doug and Amber. The boys were treated at Hurley Medical Center in Flint and recovered from their injuries.
While the demolition may be a few months off’area residents are concerned about the preservation of at least some artifacts from the building.
Dawn Bastian, Goodrich Ladies Library Museum Coordinator and Goodrich Atlas Historical Society Vice President said the community is losing a big piece of history.
‘It’s one of the first buildings in downtown Goodrich,? said Bastian. ‘Due to the age of the building, it’s perhaps where those enlisting in the Civil War went to sign up in the early 1860s. There’s a lot of history there.?
According to the historical society, the Goodrich House was built by Mr. Haskins in 1846 and was the first tavern, post office and a popular spot for trading and salesmen. During the building’s 160 years, there were several owners including Ben Yerkey, the Cicote Brothers (famous for their baseball careers) and Emery Rockafellow. After the death of Rockafellow, the tavern was bought by S. M. Hegel.
The historical society is seeking any fixture or historical item from the Goodrich House. They’d like to have these for display.
Village Council Manager Ed York had hoped the old building could be repaired.
‘There is no historic district in Goodrich,? said York. ‘There’s nothing to stop the owners from demolishing the building’the issue of keeping the old place for posterity is just not going to happen.?