Gov. Peter Shumlin is promising the Vermont government’s help with reconstruction of a downtown Brattleboro landmark that was wiped out by fire.
The April 17 fire reduced the five-story Brooks House to a shell. The brick structure housed 10 storefronts and nearly 60 apartments.
The Times Argus of Barre says Shumlin vowed the government’s help with reconstruction as quickly as possible.
A century and a half ago, businessman George Brooks spent $150,000 to erect his namesake building on the site of a catastrophic 1869 blaze that consumed the entire west side of Brattleboro’s central business district.
Before the latest fire broke out two weeks ago, the Brooks House was assessed at $2.3 million. But real estate experts estimate it could cost 10 times that much to restore it.