The owner of the Albion Hotel in Bayfield is vowing to rebuild and reopen after heavy snow caused the historic hotel's roof to collapse.
Initial assessments suggested the beloved landmark might need to be demolished, but more detailed inspections have revealed a more optimistic outlook. In a video posted to social media, hotel owner Jeff Graham shared the emotional journey of the past week and confirmed plans to rebuild the Albion to its former glory.
"Pretty much what we can tell is the roof split at the peak and just kind of folded out and sat down," Graham explained. "On the Sunday when we arrived, the talk was, this is dangerous, the Black Dog (pub, next door) could be in trouble here too. We need to tear this building down right away. But, we had some other engineers show up too, who kind of said, hold on, lets take another look at this. And it turns out that there was an idea of how to save the building."
On Tuesday, the roof was removed. While damage to the Albion Hotel is extensive, Graham said engineers found the structure is still strong.
"There is damage, but not like we thought. So that's a very positive thing," said Graham. "The walls, and all the corners are very strong, still, unfortunately, the verandah did have to come down because it was pushed away from the building when the roof slid off. But Leigh and I plan to rebuild the Albion and bring it back to its glory."
Despite the challenges, Graham and his wife, Leigh, are determined to rebuild.
"So that's kind of where the Albion's at," he added. "There is no timeline on anything. That is the goal, and we plan to fight tooth and nail to get that Albion back the way it was."
He pointed out the Bluewater Heritage Committee, and the community are fully behind the effort. In the wake of the incident, the Bayfield community has shown remarkable support for the Graham family and their staff. He listed multiple Huron County businesses, that reached out to offer a hand.
“This community is the strongest I’ve ever seen,” Graham said. “They’ve stepped up for us, raising money to support our staff who suddenly found themselves without jobs. It’s overwhelming, and we’ll never forget it.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help support the Albion Hotel.
"During this time there are 27 plus staff that will need our support over the Holidays! Please donate to this fund which will be transferred to Jeff and Leigh to divide among their staff to hopefully make up for some of the wages they will lose this holiday season," said the statement on the GoFundMe page. "They are always there for us so now we need to be there for them!"
When Graham thought the building might have to come down, he and his brother Mike preserved a key piece of its history before demolition could begin.
"We hoisted each other up and took the sign off the front of the building," he revealed. "We kept this for when the building reopens and we all get to go and put this on the front of the building. And we'll throw the hugest party that Bayfield has ever seen."
Graham is committed to keeping the community updated.
“We’ll restore the Albion to its glory, and I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone,” he said.
For now, Bayfield residents can rest assured that their cherished Albion Hotel will rise again, thanks to a combination of professional expertise and heartfelt community support.