Terre Haute House - Neighbors' Concerns About Implosion, Plus Cost, Lead To A Change in Plans

Neighbors' Concerns About Implosion, Plus Cost, Lead To A Change in Plans

As the asbestos-removal portion of the demolition entered its final days in early October 2005, Dennis Trucking's John Hanley III told the Tribune-Star that implosion looked like the obvious choice for bringing down the Terre Haute House. However, the owners and tenants of nearby buildings, many of which are also in the Wabash Avenue East National Register Historic District, expressed concern that blowing up the 10-story tower could severely damage or even destroy their homes and places of business.

On October 20, 2005, Terre Haute television station WTWO reported that asbestos removal was complete and that a final decision would be announced on the demolition method within a week.

The following week, the Tribune-Star reported that the decision, as promised, had been made. Crews would knock down the Terre Haute House with a crane and wrecking ball. Workers took to the roof to remove clay roofing tiles from the highest part of the doomed building to avoid the possibility that they could cause personal harm or property damage by falling on automobiles or passers-by.

As of early November 2005, reports from the various Terre Haute media outlets indicated that the entire demolition project would be completed by the end of January 2006. It did not take that long. Swift progress was made, with the crane operator telling a Tribune-Star reporter that, while some parts of the building were solid enough, he thought other parts came down almost too easily when hit with his 6,000 pound wrecking ball. The last remaining portion of the old hotel's façade, the lower floors of southwest corner, was demolished on December 28, 2005, bringing the Terre Haute House's nearly 78-year life to a close.