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MIDDLETOWN — After spending 49 years walking the former Sorg Paper buildings, Jesse McClure knows every nook and cranny of the historic paper plant.
That accumulated knowledge makes it that much more difficult to see the more than 150-year-old structure torn down, he said.
“It makes me a little sad to see it go,” McClure said. “I spent a lot of time there. But I guess all old things pass away.”
The Madison Twp. resident started doing electrical and mechanical maintenance in the plant in 1951, one year before it celebrated a century of operations. The one thing that sticks out in his mind about the buildings is their age, from the colossal stones that made up its foundation to the miles of old electrical wiring he helped replace through the years.
Wausau Paper, which acquired Sorg in 1983, announced plans to level the vacant facility late last month. Demolition is on schedule, said spokesman Perry Grueber.
“The project is on schedule to meet the originally targeted of late August completion,” Grueber said. “We feel the contractor, Brandenburg, is doing a great job.”
Eric Ahlgren, Brandenburg project manager, said crews had taken down five buildings as of early this week. About 25 structures will be razed, he said, with a total area of around 400,000 square feet.
“A lot of them are wooden in structure, so they’re not overly complicated to take down,” Ahlgren said. “We’re trying to bring them down under control as much as possible to eliminate potential dust.”
Mike Robinette, economic development director for the city of Middletown, estimates demolition of this nature typically runs between $2 and $3 per square foot. Robinette would ideally like to see Wausau reuse the site for future growth of the business.
Sam Ashworth, former director of the Middletown Historic Society, said the dilapidated tan buildings signify the roots of the city’s paper industry.
“They housed the Erwin brothers paper company, which was the very first in Middletown,” Ashworth said.
“Paper was eventually the big industry here until Armco came along and to me those buildings are where it all started.”
The mural located on the south side of the buildings has been carefully removed for safekeeping, according to Ashworth.
“It’s in storage right now,” he said. “We’re going to be doing some restoration work before eventually putting it someplace in the downtown area.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or at rgauthier@coxohio.com.
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