Source: Sunday Republican (Springfield, MA)
GOSHEN, MA – The Massachusetts National Guard demolished the town’s former fire station in an hour, surprising some officials here.
“It was rather short notice,” said Fire Chief Francis Dresser.
The demolition requested by the town was expected to take place May 31 but was completed a day earlier.
“They called and said they were going to do it and when they got there Saturday they wanted to drop it right then,” said Dresser.
Dresser’s volunteer firefighters supported the 101st Engineer Battalion, Company B of Florence and Company D of Lynn, in tearing down the two-story, cinderblock structure that has served most recently as a place to hang scarecrows for the annual scarecrow competition. The guard performed the task as part of a training mission and it did not cost the town any money.
The station had been condemned four years ago and two years ago a new fire station was built. The now vacant land it occupied will be used in part as a driveway for Southern New England Telephone Co, which has leased land near there for a cellular tower.