ATHOL – In a short section on Athol’s old York Theater, the Massachusetts Haunted Houses website states, “Children’s laughter has been heard, along with footsteps, and objects that move on their own.”

As far as anyone knows, the only footsteps heard in the building recently have been those of the town manager, building inspector, structural engineers, fire officials, and an independent contractor. The group gathered at the York last week to assess the integrity of the structure at 469 Main St. Acquired through a tax-taking, the building now belongs to the town, and a report from the structural engineer is awaited.

“The anecdotal discussion was that there appears to be a lot of water damage and substantial deterioration,” said Town Manager Shaun Suhoski. “The team donned protective gear before going into the premises, but the feedback I got from both the building commissioner and the engineer was that nobody should be in that building.”

Suhoski noted that the building, which most recently housed the Lucky Lanes candlepin bowling alley, has been vacant for about 15 years. Among the damage is a ceiling that is falling in and holes in the roof and floors. Getting the building insured is difficult, he added, due to the condition.

“We have to secure the facade on Main Street,” Suhoski said. “We believe there’s asbestos in the windows; we don’t want them falling on the sidewalk – or on pedestrians. So we’re going to test for that; just to secure the building we have to do some testing. If there’s asbestos-containing material throughout the structure, we’re looking at a pretty major cost. If we have a major fire, do we let the thing cave in like they did in Orange?”

The site, he said, will be secured once the results of the testing and the engineer’s report have been received. One option being eyed is demolition and the creation of access from Main Street to the municipal parking lot, which currently is accessible only from Exchange Street.

“The traffic pattern and the driveways and the islands and the in-and-outs that traverse town-owned land and privately-owned land – it’s a mish-mash,” said Suhoski. “We’re looking to do that immediately, in the near term.”

Planning Director Eric Smith has applied for a master planning grant for the parking area and it’s hoped that a proposed affordable housing development on the site of the now-closed parking garage will improve the town’s chances of landing it. The town hopes to hear in late October whether the application has been approved. Receipt of the grant would spur development of a long-term plan for the site, according to Suhoski.

Treasurer/Tax Collector Patrick McIntyre said the York Theater property had been owned by E&G Main Street Realty Trust under the trusteeship of Lori Jolly. The town, according to McIntyre, was owed approximately $65,000 in back taxes, a total which began to accrue in 2016. Of that amount, about $20,000 was owed in interest and legal fees.

Cinema Treasures, a website dedicated to documenting theaters in the U.S. – both existing and long-gone – states the York Theater opened on Nov. 12, 1930, with a showing of the film “Follow Through,” a musical romantic comedy starring Jack Haley and Zelma O’Neal. The York Theatre was built and owned by Abraham Garbose. The theatre closed its doors in the 1960s, after which – according to the website – it served temporarily as a courthouse, dance studio, and teen center. Lucky Lanes opened to bowlers in the 1970s, eventually closing in 2012.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com

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