Historic Wall or Eyesore?

The Daisy Air Rifle Factory was once Plymouth's shining jewel of manufacturing. Today, it has been reduced to little more than a brick wall propped up by steel beams, dominating the empty field between Plymouth's downtown and Old Village business districts.

And now, even the fate of that lone wall remains uncertain. The Plymouth Planning Commission will vote Wednesday on a resolution that could allow the wall's owner to tear the structure down.

Red Ryder BB guns made

Before moving to Rogers, AR, in 1958, Daisy Manufacturing Co. manufactured millions of air rifles at its factory on Union Street, southeast of Main Street. 

The Red Ryder BB gun, best known to many through the classic comedy, "A Christmas Story," was originally made at the Plymouth factory after its introduction in 1939.

After Daisy left town, the building was used as office space and was occupied until the factory was demolished in 2005.

An eyesore to some and an historic relic to others, the brick wall has stood on the site since 2005.

Preserve or tear down?

On Wednesday, the Planning Commission will hear from the wall's owner, a Chicago-based commercial real estate company that developed the Daisy Square Complex Condominiums in the wall's shadow in 2005.

According to commission meeting minutes from 2003, the company, Joseph Freed & Associates, was supposed to preserve the wall and incorporate it into the condominum development. Joseph Freed is now hoping the commission will vote to allow them to change their original plans and tear down the wall.

Wendy Harless, chairwoman of the Plymouth Preservation Network, an organization that works to preserve Plymouth's hstorical structures, said that in addition to restoring the wall and incorporating it into a new building, Joseph Freed was supposed to put up an historical marker to "educate people about the history of the Daisy factory."

Because the company hasn't fulfilled its promise, the Preservation Network is looking into getting a state historical marker on the site.

According to commission records, Joseph Freed has been hoping to tear down the wall since 2008, but residents spoke out in favor of somehow preserving the facade, and even circulated a petition. The company decided to withdraw the application to the commission and "take it up again, if necessary, in 2010."

Several attempts to reach Joseph Freed for comment have been unsuccessful.

Many Plymouth residents would like to see the wall preserved, and have submitted various petitions to the city regarding this.

Karen Hacker, a lifelong Plymouth resident, said she would like to see the wall preserved if it can be incorporated into "something that looks nice and shows its historical significance in the community." 

"Right now," she added, "it's an eyesore.  It looks like a project that was started but never finished because the builder ran out of money." She said it should be torn down rather than stay the way it is.

Chris Wolf, another Plymouth resident and a builder, said: "Don't take the wall down! Daisy Rifle is part of our heritage and history here in Plymouth and the wall represents that."

It might need to be moved to be used or incorporated into another structure, but he feels that moving it would be feasible. "The wall could be used as the facade for a structure to be built behind it, maybe one that houses recreational facilities," Wolf added.  "If they are going to take it down, let me come get the bricks; I'd love to use them," he quipped. 

Others see less value in preserving the wall. Doug Parton, a former resident of Old Village, said, "Although historical and fascinating, the wall only adds a sense of abandonment to that corner of downtown.  I do love telling out of town-ers the story of the Red Rider BB gun and the Daisy factory, but that is the extent of (its) allure."

"I think the best way to proceed with saving the wall," Harless said, "would be to get the local residents together and have a brainstorming session for what they would like to see built on the site.

"If they could develop a good idea, like a club or community rec center for the people who live [in Daisy Square], they might be able to find some grants or angel investor funds to construct a building."

Residents who would like to voice their opinion on the wall's fate may attend the Planning Commission meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday  at Plymouth City Hall.