Anson historic building falls to wind storm; addressing the crumbling of Texas small towns

ANSON, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Constructed in 1909 alongside the famous Anson Opera House, the building most residents know as Moss Hardware and, before that, Edwards Hardware came crashing down on Tuesday, March 4.

Anson City manager Sonny Campbell said the strong winds were the last straw in a series of unfortunate events for the storied structure.

“About six months ago, we had a little earth rumble, and some bricks fell…Inside the store, there used to be a second-floor balcony. Somebody went in there and pulled the braces out from under it. When that happened, the whole roof caved in… After the little earthquake we had last week and then heavy winds yesterday, it blew out all the front part where the old windows used to be,” Said Campbell.

The owner of that building and the one adjoining, between the opera house, is now in contact with the city for assistance in cleaning up and preserving what is left. Campbell said city crews will work over the next couple of weeks to clear away rubble and install support beams to maintain stability.

“She’s an out-of-state owner, but she’s actually from Anson…She bought it with plans for them to move back to Anson and start a business there,” Campbell said.

According to Campbell, a business that could have contributed to the local economy is one major factor in addressing the crumbling of city squares across small-town Texas.

“The sad thing is, there’s nothing I can do about it… The reason businesses leave and the reason buildings fall down is people don’t live here. They don’t have the business here…We do have businesses here in Anson. Are they making an extremely well living? Probably not, but they’re still here, and that’s supporting the city,” Said Campbell.

The city has to get creative when it comes to keeping downtown as a place people want to be. Campbell says a lack of dollars being spent locally, in addition to a recent lack of federal funding, has made it even more difficult for city governments to invest in the preservation and success of their historic downtown areas.

One nearby park, however, stands as an example of what can be done when the city and community invest in themselves. The Sylvia Moreland and Pat Seballos Memorial Park was once a pit of rubble in a similar situation to the old hardware store. As a city-owned property, it was decided that the old crumbling building would become a public space. With donations, volunteers, murals painted by the high school art class, and city funds, it was transformed for the better.

“I’m extremely proud of what the city has done here…When we started, this was like a 4-foot deep hole,” Campbell said.

Though this case may be an outlier in local civic engagement, Campbell encourages everyone to support their hometown with their dollar, emphasizing the importance of buying local when possible to stimulate the local economy and getting involved in local government as a citizen.

“We would ask that everybody keep in mind, if it’s something you can buy here, buy it here. If it’s something that you have to go to Walmart for and you want your money back, then okay, we understand…We have what we need right here in Anson. It just needs more support,” Said Campbell.

Campbell was asked what the best way for people to support Anson.

“Come to City Hall and give us some ideas. The only bad idea is no idea, if they have an idea, come run it by us, and let’s see if we can do it,” Campbell said.

Campbell says that city crews will be working to remove rubble in the coming weeks in response to the building collapse. He expects to see that work begin sometime this week if not next week.