A.J. Miller Building Coming Down

[Mike Stevens]

your bricks and brochures

I will hold the bricks until I get the brochures next Thursday. All requests for a brick and brochure have come through this site. I have been keeping a list. All bricks and brochures will be mailed only for the cost of shipping. I think the bricks will fit in a US Post Office priority mailing box. I will wrap the brochures to keep them in good shape. Bricks and brochures will be sent in the order I received a request.
Mike

 

[Abe Bush]

I wonder if there was any old, forgotten Miller memorabilia found...like perhaps an old invoice or letter from the 1940s found under the cracks of a floor or something.

Abe

 

[Mike Stevens]

no stash

Abe,
With the time line the demo crew is working with they did not look for anything other than how to get the building down and hauled away. They started demo this past week. Ground breaking for the new owners building is this coming Thursday. No time for treasure seeking.
I am glad we had time to get the bricks.
Mike

 

[Darren Bedford]

Mike

I would love a brick as well.

I never did get to visit the building but would like to have a brick from it.

Thanks !
Darren

 

[Mike Stevens]

ground breaking at AJ Miller site

The ground breaking for the new facility at the AJ Miller site in Bellefontaine, Ohio is set for 10 A M June 28, 2012. Again, I remind you that the new owners have extended an invitation for any PCS members with Miller or Miller-Meteor
vehicles to be in attendance with their cars.
I will have my 61 M-M combination there. Will have more pictures of the site here late in the afternoon. More info on the bricks will be posted at the same time.
Mike

 

[Tim Prieur]

Mike, if I could add my name for a brick and brochure it would be much appreciated. As with Bill L, happy to forward up front cost for shipping up here to Calgary, Alberta.
Thanks for taking this on on our behalf!

 

[Mike Stevens]

AJ Miller site today

As promised here are the pictures of the ground breaking at the AJ Miller site in Bellefontaine, Ohio June 28, 2012. A fine day for an outdoor function. Lots of sun. The temperature was only in the low 80s. It got over 100 later this afternoon. Maybe Al was right. There is global warming.
The new owner is Tri County Commuity Action. This group offers free transportation to anyone in their service area. They also have a Meals on Wheels program. Not familiar with Meals on Wheels? It is a community based service that makes sure elderly and other folks in need get a good meal delivered to their home as needed.
The ground breaking started this morning promptly at 10 a m as scheduled. After the Tri County people were finished the politicians had their few moments at the mike. These were the reps that helped get the funding for the project. Then the construction team had a few words. I would have liked to have had one of the chrome plated shovels but it was not to be.
The Miller site is covered with concrete, depth unknown.Tthe ceremonial dirt was set up in a small pile at the very front of the grounds just inside the fence. The new owners will be using the large garage we were in a few years ago. Their rolling stock will be maintained and stored there. Not all of the Miller building came down. Just the old red brick 3 story section that was the front of the building.
I was told that this new facility will have a meeting room for public use. Tri County thinks we should consider using the room and grounds for a display of our coaches. We all promised to keep in touch on this idea.
The red bricks weigh in at 8-11 pounds. Must have been some differences in the ingredients when they were made. If you reserved a brick I will be contacting you soon.
Hope you enjoy the new pictures. Thanks to Jon Wurm for alerting us to the razing of the AJ Miller building. I am glad I was close enough to get our bricks.
Mike

 

[Mike Stevens]

what the pics show

The 3rd picture shows our new friend, Denise Birt. This is the woman in charge at Tri County. She is the first person I talked to about getting bricks. She made phone calls to make it happen as they say. Many thanks to her.
The 4th picture shows some of the other people involved in getting the site ready for today. Architects, construction company personnel, and other members of the Tri County group.
The 5th picture is my 61 Miller-Meteor Cadillac combo inside the fence of the Miller site.
More pictures in another set.
Mike

 

[Mike Stevens]

AJ Miller site set 2 June 28, 2012

This set of pictures show the chrome shovels used in the ground breaking. As you can see the ground was already broken. With the site still covered in an unknown amount of concrete they did what they had to do for todays ceremony.
The green pipe standing in one of the photos is the water main to the AJ Miller plant. It is hooked to a city main several feet outside the fence. The site superintendent says it will be cut and capped as they don't want to chance causing a breakage down line somewhere. The building with the end open is going to get a new entry for the rolling stock. This is part of the Miller plant that will continue being used.
I hope you enjoyed following this story and the pictures.
Mike

 

[Paul Steinberg]

If the stand pipe is up for grabs, I would love to have that to plant in my front yard.. I will even make a donation to them just to get it. Thanks Paul

 

[Jeremy D. Ledford]

Thanks for posting the updates Mike and thanks to both you and Jon for rescuing bricks for our collections! Glad to see their going to re-use the old final assembly building for their use! Speaking of that building lets go and take a look back at the daily goings on from a typical day there from back in 1954 shall we!!!!

Jeremy D. Ledford Collection, All Rights Reserved.

 

[Mike Stevens]

bricks in the mail

The first of the AJ Miller Building bricks have been mailed. I hope to get all of the reserved bricks mailed by the end of this week.
Note to Paul. The green water main stack to the building as of now is not up for grabs. The thinking is that the local historical society gets first dibs on it.
Mike

 

[Mike Stevens]

boxes of bricks

To all of you that are getting AJ Miller bricks in the mail. Be sure to check the cardboard tube in the box with the brick. That is where the brochure is hiding. I did not want the brochures to get destroyed by the brick while in the mail. Let me know when you get your brick.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[Mike Stevens]

AJ Miller...need to know

I trust all the reserved AJ Miller building bricks have been delivered. Now we need to know how are you displaying or making use of your brick. Pictures would do nicely.
We don't have a Staples but Office Max laminated my AJ Miller history page for under $3.
Mike

 

[Darren Bedford]

Mike

I got my brick Mike !!!

I will display it with my Vintage Funeral Collection.

THANKS AGAIN !

Darren

 

[Jeremy D. Ledford]

Sorry for the slow response back but I did get my brick in a couple weeks ago. As for display I plan of mixing it in along with a few other bricks to in with my miniature pro-car collection. As for the history sheet I plan on coping the other side as well and framing it in a poster frame for display.

 

[Josh Rutter]

Anymore of these bricks available? If so, whats the price?

 

[Mike Stevens]

never a price

Josh,
There was never a price on the Miller bricks. You just pay the shipping charges.
The post office charges $11.35 for a flat rate box in the US. More in other places.
There are still a few bricks availible. You also get a 2 sided history page of the AJ Miller Co.
Mike

 

[Mike Stevens]

AJ Miller/Tri County Community Action Group site

Greetings from Ohio,
Monday found me on a road trip. When it was time to come home I took a route that would take me through Bellefontaine, Ohio. I got to the old AJ Miller site about 5pm Sept 10. This is an update on what is happening to the old AJ Miller Co site. The new owners are keeping the old final inspection and finish building. It will become the storage building for their rolling stock. The Tri County Community Action Group supplies transport, meals on wheels, and other services in the Bellefontaine area. Look at the pictures on post 29 page 3 of this thread. You can compare picture number 4 to yesterdays picture of the site. The new marquis built from some of the old Miller bricks is in place. The windows have been taken out of the finish building. Evidently they are going ot put in energy efficient windows. Or maybe brick up the window openings. I don't know yet. They told us it would be about a 10 month timeline to get the new facilities in place. There is new chain link fence around the site now. You can see the alarm warning sign at the front gate. That is why the pictues were not taken from a closer vantage point. I will keep you updated here.
There are still a few bricks left in case there are any others out there wanting a memento. PM me about them.
Mike

 

[Mike Stevens]

the saga continues

Another piece of AJ Miller Co history will be sent to Canada on Wednesday. One more member will be getting a bit of procar history.

The old Miller site in Bellefontaine, Ohio is a busy place. They do have the new marquis set in place. No letters or logo on it yet. It is made from over 600 old bricks that were set aside for that part of the new building project. You can see it in the previous pictures I posted a few weeks ago. Jeremy kindly sent me some photos of the Miller workers in the finish building completing some of the 1954 model run. I will be getting these framed. My plan is to present them to the Tri County Community Action Group for display in their new building. They seemed to be interested in the history of their new site. Right now they are in a small building in the downtown area. At the AJ Miller site they will have their offices and rolling stock in one location.
Updates on work at the AJ Miller Co site will be posted here from time to time.

Mike