EASTHAMPTON — After a steady decline in customers, the American Legion Post 224 of Easthampton is selling its building on Pleasant Street and might have to move out by the end of the year.
A for-sale sign recently went up in front of the American Legion building located at 190 Pleasant St. Post 224 mainly makes money through the bar it operates out of the building, but the event hall inside is also used for fundraisers and events.
According to Commander in Chief Charles Duffy, there has been a steady decline of visitors and customers since the COVID-19 pandemic and profits from the bar are no longer supporting operating costs, including building repairs and bills.
“It’s the fact that the bar right now is not making enough money — it’s economic …” he said about selling the building. “Since COVID, we never really came back as strong.”
Duffy recently transitioned into the role of commander, a position recently held by Kevin Miller, who Duffy said has had multiple other responsibilities.
Duffy said the building was sold to the legion for $1 in the 1950s from a veteran involved in the Korean War. While it must be sold by the end of the year, the Easthampton post is going to remain intact.
“The Post is over 100 years old and we have been in that building since the 50s …,” he said. “(If it moves out) it will look for another place to operate.”
Duffy, the executive board and members of the Legion have been meeting to discuss future options. Any final decisions must pass a vote from members of the body.
It is uncertain whether the Legion will remain in the building, according to Duffy. There is a possibility that new owners will allow the organization to have full or partial operations in the building, but potential new locations are being looked at.
The American Legion is a national nonprofit serving veterans and their families. It has more than 1 million members across 12,000 local posts, with departments for each of the 50 states and several other nations. Members of each legion pay dues that help fund the organization’s mission.
For Easthampton Veterans Agent Thomas Geryk, this is a moment of transition for the legion, not just about its location but also identity. “The intent is for the legion to remain intact but they won’t be owning the building … I view it as a kind of reinventing their identity.”
Geryk is not directly involved with the legion but as an agent he wants to connect with every part of the veterans community. He directly supports the Easthampton Coalition for Veteran Wellness, a group partnered with the city which aims to bring veterans together through community-based support and action.
“I’m connected to both (groups) as the veteran’s service officer and it’s about casting my outreach net to be in all corners of the veteran’s culture in Easthampton,” he said. “It’s kind of a different make up of the groups and different missions. The legion is very much rooted in tradition and ceremony and the coalition has a specific mission geared behind supporting veterans suffering with mental health issues.”
Geryk said the veterans community has been changing in the recent past and agencies supporting veterans need to reshape the way they approach raising funds. He said while the bar has been a good source of income, more family-oriented events could help the legion raise more funds.
“The whole concept behind the bar was to raise funds and pay for the expense of having a building and all that, but that’s not really what has been bringing in the money,” said Geryk. “And like most veterans groups that are struggling, it’s a new landscape now for veteran families.”