Old Phillips Memorial Hall demolished

Phillips residents share memories of gym, village center

  • The original Phillips Memorial Hall, completed in 1949 as a memorial to WWII veterans, passed into history last week. The wood and steel building, which was replaced by the nearby new Phillips Memorial Hall in 2016, was demolished by a local construction company and the debris hauled away.
    The original Phillips Memorial Hall, completed in 1949 as a memorial to WWII veterans, passed into history last week. The wood and steel building, which was replaced by the nearby new Phillips Memorial Hall in 2016, was demolished by a local construction company and the debris hauled away.
  • The original Phillips Memorial Hall is pictured here as it looked shortly after its construction in 1949. The Phillips School, which was destroyed by fire in June of 1985, can be seen to left of the structure.
    The original Phillips Memorial Hall is pictured here as it looked shortly after its construction in 1949. The Phillips School, which was destroyed by fire in June of 1985, can be seen to left of the structure.
  • School children from the Phillips School next door pose in front of the original Phillips Memorial Hall in February 1966 the day after it was damaged by fire. Lifelong Phillips resident Jim Ratchje is one of those pictured and he remembers the event not only because he was allowed to go inside and see the fire damage, but also because his younger sister was born the same night. This photo appeared in the following week’s edition of the Aurora News-Register.
    School children from the Phillips School next door pose in front of the original Phillips Memorial Hall in February 1966 the day after it was damaged by fire. Lifelong Phillips resident Jim Ratchje is one of those pictured and he remembers the event not only because he was allowed to go inside and see the fire damage, but also because his younger sister was born the same night. This photo appeared in the following week’s edition of the Aurora News-Register.
A Phillips landmark built shortly after the Second World War and which hosted community events and basketball games for more than 70 years came down last week. The original Phillips Memorial Hall, completed in 1949, was demolished and the rubble hauled away last Monday. The metal roofed quonset-style building has not been used for several years following the construction of the new Memorial Hall…

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