Historic Freeman building collapses

A 115-year-old building in Freeman partially collapsed on Thursday morning, prompting the city council to hold an emergency vote on its demolition.

Located at 263 S. Main St., the Schamber Building was not currently in use. There were no injuries, said Freeman police chief Casey Cummings.

"It finally just gave way," he said.

Police responded to a call about a loud noise around 1 a.m. on Thursday, Cummings said. He arrived on scene to find the building had caved in on itself, with just the side walls left standing.

The city council held an emergency meeting on Thursday, in which they voted to have the rest of the Schamber Building demolished immediately, possibly by Friday afternoon. It is considered unsafe to passerby, Cummings said. The surrounding area is currently blocked off.

The Department of Natural Resources will inspect the building on Friday for asbestos and other hazards, according to Cummings. After that, it will be torn down as soon as possible.