Thompson Block Burns Down

**izzyindetroit** · September-23-09, 08:17 AM

The 1861 civil war barracks, located in Ypsilanti, caught fire early this morning. It is another loss for the preservationist from around the area. The building was one of a few barracks from the Civil War that was still standing. In recent years the building has been the focus of many legal battles for the city and the current owner.

http://ypsiciti.com/section/News/Fir...icle-1205.html

**cman710** · September-23-09, 08:21 AM

That is very sad to hear. It looks like, at most, the facade will be preserved.

**Jared9903** · September-23-09, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by izzyindetroit

The 1861 civil war barracks, located in Ypsilanti, caught fire early this morning. It is another loss for the preservationist from around the area. The building was one of a few barracks from the Civil War that was still standing. In recent years the building has been the focus of many legal battles for the city and the current owner.

http://ypsiciti.com/section/News/Fir...icle-1205.html

Oh man! That's terrible! I live not-too-far from there

**ASR89** · September-23-09, 09:21 AM

That sucks. They stopped construction for a while, but started up again towards the end of the summer. That is more than I can say compared to other "redevelopers". I have to go to EMU in an hour. I'll take some pictures, but the pic in the article pretty much says it all.

**izzyindetroit** · September-23-09, 12:48 PM

I don't think the building is salvageable. Then again, I'm no expert.

**eno** · September-23-09, 03:05 PM

The North Shall Rise Again!!!

Retroit · September-23-09, 03:46 PM

The Fabulous Ruins of Ypsilanti.

**Jared9903** · September-23-09, 05:09 PM

just got back from it, theyre spraying it down still. its still smoking a little. signs all over say "Caution: Demolition in Progress" so sad...

**Jared9903** · September-23-09, 05:42 PM

http://ypsiciti.com/section/News/Bea...icle-1211.html

The Owners reactions

**izzyindetroit** · September-23-09, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Jared9903

http://ypsiciti.com/section/News/Bea...icle-1211.html

The Owners reactions

if you can't fix it, burn it down and try again.

**wolverine** · September-23-09, 06:27 PM

You CAN stabalize a facade like this post fire, but it's a difficult task. Alot of the mortar joints are probably hollowed out by now. I'm happy to hear they are committed though to saving what's left. At the very worst they could collect all the bricks and rebuild it as it was before.

**ASR89** · September-23-09, 08:03 PM

Izzy, that video pretty much covered all that I shot. It looked worst in person. That intersection was still blocked off as of 8pm.

**Jared9903** · September-23-09, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by ljbad89

Izzy, that video pretty much covered all that I shot. It looked worst in person. That intersection was still blocked off as of 8pm.

yehh we went into some abandoned house's back yard to get a better look at the back, got some great shots. we did get yelled at by Pittsfield F.D. but yeah. I wonder how damaged the Antique store side of the building is, there is a huge brick wall dividing it, too dark in the windows to see what its like though...

**reddog289** · September-24-09, 01:27 AM

Not having any info about the block till now. I always thought it was a neat old building that could be used for something. And that was a few years ago when I used to go to Sidetracks and Aubries. What a shame.

**Jared9903** · September-24-09, 08:24 AM

I never would've guessed it was that old, I had no idea about the history of it either, but I've always admired the old place, too.

**DetroitZack** · September-24-09, 09:18 AM

This made me really sad. I went there right away to take pics. I'm studying Historic Preservation at Eastern.

**1KielsonDrive** · September-24-09, 10:59 AM

My heart is broken.

**elganned** · September-24-09, 11:06 AM

This building was not originally built as a barracks, but when it was finished in 1861 it was immediately commandeered for that use, named Camp Mizner after the regular army Captain who was in charge of recruiting there.

The building was the recruiting site of the 14th Michigan Volunteer Infantry which mustered into service Feb. 13, 1862. It was originally conceived as an Irish regiment, but eventually was filled out with other nationalities. Boys enlisted from all over Southeast Michigan, with a heavy Detroit contingent. Mizner himself later was brought from Ypsilanti, promoted to Colonel of Volunteers, and given command of the regiment in mid-1863 when the original commander resigned his commission for health reasons.

In September of 1863 the regiment was converted to "mounted infantry" and used for counter-guerrila operations in eastern Tennessee--one of a handful of such units in the Federal army. In May of 1864 their horses were taken away again when the shortage of animals for artillery and cavalry operations proved too big a temptation for the army.

The regiment joined W. T. Sherman's command and was engaged in operations in Georgia from 1864 until the end of the war, participating in the famous "March to the Sea". It was mustered out of service in Louisville, KY in July, 1865, then sent back to Fort Wayne in Detroit for final payoff and disbanding on July 29, 1865.

The regiment suffered 246 fatalities out of 925 effectives, 59 from enemy action and 187 from disease.

**PlymouthRes** · September-24-09, 12:12 PM

Here is a bit more about Mizner, one of the best Generals to serve the Union during the Civil War:

Henry Rutgers Mizner

Henry Mizner was born in Geneva, New York on August 1, 1827. He was a direct descendent of a Revolution War captain, a governor of New York and was a nephew of the founder of Rutgers University. He came to Detroit in 1836 and was admitted to the Wayne County Bar in 1857. In 1851, he married Eliza Whiting Howard, the daughter of Colonel Joshua Howard, and they had five children: Mary Howard Mizner, Julia Ingersoll Mizner, Henry Rutgers Mizner, Jr., Walter Ingersoll Mizner and Elizabeth P. Mizner.

Mizner was a member of the Brady Guards at the time of the Mexican War. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was Lieutenant and Assistant to Colonel Electus Backus. He was made captain of the 18th U. S. Infantry on his enlistment on May 14, 1861. He rose to colonel of the 14th Michigan Infantry on November 11, 1862 and was brevetted Major in the U. S. Army on December 31, 1862 for gallant and meritorious service in the Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He was brevetted Lt. Colonel in the U. S. Army on September 1, 1864 for service during the Atlanta Campaign and in the Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia. Mizner was brevetted Brigadier General of the U. S. Volunteers on March 13, 1865. He mustered out of volunteer service on July 18, 1865.

Mizner continued in military service after the war and, on February 22, 1869, was made a major in the 20th U. S. Infantry. He was transferred to the 12th U. S. Infantry on March 14, 1869 and was transferred again on May 14, 1877 to the 8th U. S. Infantry. He was made Lt. Colonel of the 10th U. S. Infantry on December 15, 1880. Mizner retired from active service on August 1, 1891 at the age limit of 64. In 1904, he was brevetted Brigadier General by President Theodore Roosevelt.

General Mizner died at the age of 87 after a long illness.

Born: August 1, 1827
Died: January 4, 1915
Buried: Section B, Lot 134

Reference: http://elmwoodhistoriccemetery.org/pages/mizner.html

He also continued on in the governments effort to gather Indians together for the march on the Trail of Tears, finally retiring at the mandatory age of 64 in 1891. He had a long and storied career to say the least.

Many structures, such as this, were commandeered during the CW for usage as a recruitment stations. Michigan was known for its volunteerism, to the degree that later in 1861, when Lincoln called for more volunteers, Gov. Austin Blair responded with such a immediate response of musteing men into service that Lincoln was noted for the phrase ".....thank God for Michigan".

Reference: http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7...1660--,00.html

The unfortunate thing about all of this is that this is the worst time in the history of historic preservation to try to raise the funding required to secure these types of structures. Money [[and intrest, I fear) are at an all time low, and the odds of being able to save these types of places are dismally small.

I hope that this incident does not now hinder the areas slow but steady comeback.

Res

**Rocko** · September-24-09, 05:24 PM

Yes, really too bad about what happened here. However, the owner is cited in multiple sources as saying if possible he would like to save the remaining facade and build a new structure behind in. "Facadectomy" is the term. Better than total demo, but the part about the Civil War soldiers carving their names in the beams can't be recreated.

Zack, I'm in the HP Program at EMU too - I'm the PE Communications guy.

Glad to hear, however, that it was not the old MC Depot that caught fire, as was originally reported by a few sources. Depot Town wouldn't be a whole lot without the Depot, after all.