Port Clinton Armory fetches $120,000 at auction

10/22/2006

PORT CLINTON - The Port Clinton Armory was sold for $120,000 yesterday to a local resident.

Sellers Russ and Marty Brown identified the buyer as Richard Kendall, of Port Clinton.

The Browns, who bought the building for $95,000 in 1994, said the sale price was about a tenth of what they put into the structure.

They said they're satisfied by the transaction, even though they had made $1.2 million in renovations.

"It's going to be used for something, and that's what we wanted to see happen. So we aren't disappointed at all really, although we lost a lot of money on it," Mr. Brown said.

Mr. Kendall, who could not be reached for comment, was one of six registered bidders.

The 17,000-square-foot armory, vacant for more than two years, once housed Company C of the 192nd Tank Battalion, some of whose members died in the Bataan Death March in the Philippines during World War II.

The Ohio National Guard sold the brick building in 1984. It has had a variety of uses over the years, most recently as a mall for antiques and craft vendors, as well as a 50-seat restaurant.

The drill hall was sold at auction without a minimum bid requirement.