Preservation architect: Carlisle building revived after 2003 fire with Adena partnership

At a public presentation, a preservation architect recounted the Carlisle building’s deterioration after arson fires in April 2003 and the years of volunteer and municipal interest that followed. He described how preservation advocates and developers explored civic uses for the corner-site building before Adena Health Center and the Chesler Group partnered on a redevelopment.

The architect said the 1885 Carlisle building was on Chillicothe’s most important corner and suffered significant fire and water damage; volunteers and engineers installed temporary bracing to prevent collapse. By 2012–2013 a preservation-minded development team moved forward with a plan to create offices and apartments for Adena staff and visitors, carefully restoring storefronts and historic staircases and adding modern mechanical systems.

He described structural surprises discovered during planning — at one point a three-story collapse into the basement required the design team to place the elevator in that opening — and said the project reached completion roughly 12 years after the fire. "Twelve years after the fire, there's a happy ending and this project was successfully completed," the preservation architect said.

The presentation emphasized that adaptive reuse succeeds when an actual user exists, when preservation tax credits can be applied, and when structural stabilization and careful design preserve character while meeting contemporary needs.