MOUNT CARMEL -- A 150-year-old hotel is coming down in Northumberland County. Neighbors say what was a historic building has become more of an eyesore.
Workers have begun ripping the place apart and they're amazed at what they're finding inside.
The old National Hotel in Mount carmel Is coming down piece by piece and Joe Pavloski and Marvin Honabach are doing most of the work.
The 150-year-old building has been vacant for more than a decade.
"All the beds were made when we came in. All the beds where the pillows were, the sheets were on them. In fact the linens were still down in the closet," said Joe Pavloski.
"You never know, every room is a new experience what you're going to walk in and find," Marvin Honabach said.
They're finding they have to be careful where they walk. This creaking building is filled with collapsed floors.
But it's also filled with antique furniture and collector's items. That's why owner Vince Guarna is doing a slow demolition. He's saving a lot of potential valuables along the way.
"A lot of stuff is, you'd be surprised. The beams you see behind you, the laths that hold the plaster together, that can be used in crafts. People go crazy for that stuff. You can't buy it anymore."
Guarna bought the building for only $3,000 but he and his crew believe back in the day it was quite a place.
"It was really nice, probably expensive place in the day, probably high end," Pavlosky said. "Not now, my thought's it's not worth much."
There are quite a few items that they are trying to salvage inside, but once these are gone, the building is coming down and there are quite a few people in town happy to see that.
"Well, it's an eyesore. If they can't fix it, caput!"
Pat Tomedi was in the building as a teenager. She said it was nice then. The owner wants to make this downtown location nice now.
"When we're done razing the building, we'll hopefully build townhouses here. They'll have nice little yards with them and we'll build them from top to bottom" Guarna said.
The old National Hotel's owner hopes to have demolition on the building itself start within the next two weeks. Any new construction would come next year.