Oct 9, 2021 2 min read

A long-vacant building in Cecil Township that used to be home to the Cecil French Club was demolished Thursday evening after the roof collapsed.

Emergency crews were dispatched to 22 Mawhinney Road about 4 p.m. Cecil Township Fire Company No. 3 Chief Dennis Berty described the brick building as being about 40 feet tall and close to power lines.

“We were concerned that whatever would come down would take the wires out and really cause problems,” Berty said.

Cindy Fisher, chairperson of the Cecil Township Board of Supervisors, said the building had been abandoned for about three decades. She said before it collapsed, there were already many holes in the roof.

“Being exposed to the elements for that many years, I don’t think it could take it anymore. It was not a solid roof,” Fisher said.

According to Fisher, the township had been in the process of having the building deemed unsafe for a few years, and recently obtained a court order allowing for the demolition.

A potential buyer had expressed interest in restoring the property. According to Fisher, the township was giving the buyer time to present a restoration plan before moving ahead with the demolition. However, with the building’s close proximity to the road, the township had to speed up the demolition process.

“We couldn’t have the building sit there with the potential risk of it falling on someone who was driving by,” Fisher said.

Township officials requested a structural engineer from Gateway Engineers, who determined the building needed to be razed. Cecil Township-based Stewart Contracting handled the demolition.

“I could see the cracks in the bricks at the top of the wall, and that was beyond where there was any real support,” Berty said. “They could have fallen. Being that high, they’re going to come down with a lot of force.”

According to Fisher, the demolition started about 6:30 p.m. and was finished by 11:30 p.m. Mawhinney Road was closed between Wilson Avenue and Belgium Hill Road during the demolition.