Building collapses in downtown Ardmore

ARDMORE, Okla. (AP) -- The owner of a downtown Ardmore building that collapsed this weekend says he hopes he can save the structure.<br/><br/>The 106-year-old building that once housed a gunslingers'

Tuesday, August 31st 2004, 5:30 am

By: News On 6

ARDMORE, Okla. (AP) -- The owner of a downtown Ardmore building that collapsed this weekend says he hopes he can save the structure.

The 106-year-old building that once housed a gunslingers' saloon collapsed Saturday and spilled into a downtown street.

Owner Joe Deere says he wants to build a support structure to hold up the front of the crumbling two-story building.

The former Ardmore Sanitarium was vacant at the time of the collapse.

City officials say they had previously asked to demolish the building, but the Ardmore Historical Preservation Society denied those requests.

In the early 1900s, the basement of the building was home to the Dew Drop Inn -- a notorious saloon for gunslingers and prostitutes. A network of tunnels allowed customers to sneak across the street to the nearby hotel or cafes.