KNOXVILLE - Dozens of onlookers watched the end of an era as demolition began Tuesday on the largest historical landmark in Knoxville. Although preparations had begun Monday to demolish the former PEO Home, which occupies the entire 400 block on the north side of East Main Street, the wrecking ball started swinging in earnest early Tuesday to knock down the elegant three-story mansion that had stood in the center of a park-like setting since its opening in 1912.

People young and old came to watch. There was a steady stream of traffic all morning, slowing to a crawl as vehicles went around the block with the drivers looking out the side window. Many people stood or sat in the grass, while others just stayed for a few minutes. Cameras and even a few camcorders recorded the event. Some people brought their children to watch and some curious youngsters arrived on bicycles.

Joyce Schwieter of Knoxville was there with her 8-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son. She said her daughter had learned about the building in school this year.

"I just thought it was something the kids should watch," she said. "It is a part of Knoxville's history."

Her daughter, Becca, will be in third grade at Mable Woolsey Elementary School next fall. Both brought cameras and Becca was busy taking photographs for her scrapbook.

"I don't want them to knock it down very much," Becca said softly when asked what she thought about work being done.

Those living in the neighborhood were sitting on porches or lawn chairs watching. Karen Fears lives across the street from the home.

"This is very historic," she said. "My mother worked in the PEO Home and it just has been a part of our life. To see it go, it leaves a void. It just seemed to be too nice of a building for this to happen."

Her mother, Joyce Beardsley, agreed. "I'm real sorry it's coming down," she said. "I think they could have found some use for it." Joyce Beardsley said after working as a cook in the PEO Home and living across the street from it for 39 years, she is going to miss the "beautiful" building and she hates to see it torn down.

Her husband, Delbert Beardsley, a former mayor of Knoxville, said he was more concerned with what is going to happen to the property once the building is gone.

The Concerned Citizens for the PEO Home, a not-for-profit group that had formed in May 2001, worked for a year to try to save the building. Its president, Paul Clark, arrived at 8 a.m. Tuesday to watch, visibly upset about what was going on.

"It's kind of like losing your best friend," Clark said. "You know it's coming, but you're not prepared for it. It kind of tears your heart out seeing it happen. We tried so hard to save it."

Clark talked to many of those watching and passing by. He said he hadn't spoken to anyone there who wanted to see the building destroyed.

"We could have saved this building," Clark said. "I do wish I could do it over. I would have done something else. Instead of waiting so long to offer them money for it, I would have done it early on."

Last month, Clark offered the PEO $200,000 for the building, but was told the organization was not interested.

"It's a sad day," he said. "It is really going to hurt the people of Knoxville. It is going to be gone. It is going to be gone forever. I'll live with what I've done, but I don't think the majority of the City Council can live with what they've done."

Clark was referring to the fact the City Council voted 5-2 in November to reject an offer from the PEO of the building and the $307,508 estimated demolition fee.

Only alderman, Wayne Mastin, Ward 1, was spotted watching the demolition Tuesday morning. Mastin is one of two aldermen who expressed interest in the city trying to save the home.

"I think it's a shame," Mastin said. "It makes me sick when I think of all the money that has been spent to restore old buildings that were falling down and we have one that was standing, solid structurally, and we decided we can't find a use for it."

Others wondered why the landmark was being destroyed.

"It's just a shame something as nice as this can be torn down," Dwayne Burton said. "I just don't understand how it could happen. It should have been decided by the people of Knoxville. Something like this should not have been decided by people sitting behind a desk. Everyone I've talked to is distraught. I've not heard one person say it should be torn down."

As he watched the wrecking ball hitting the building, he commented he had "never seen a building as solid as this one." Burton noted the ball had to repeatedly hit the floor and retaining walls, when normally one hit would cause a section of a building to crumble. Another bystander said he saw the ball bounce off a section of the roof without making a dent.

Even while the ball was slamming repeatedly into the attic and top floor, some of the glass in the lower levels remained intact, confirming how well the building was constructed.

Some of the onlookers would not comment as they watched. Only one person, who did not want his name used, said he was glad to see the building go because it "wasn't good for anything."

Although the closing of the retirement home for elderly ladies and its eventual fate has been a topic of discussion for several years, it was a surprise to one couple who arrived late in the morning.

Jeff Stutler, a Knoxville native, and his wife Brenda had moved to Florida and were on vacation to visit relatives here.

"We just arrived here," Brenda Stutler said. "We were driving in from Florida and we were driving through Knoxville and we saw this horrible thing happening. We were just shocked. So, we stopped the car to take some pictures. We haven't even unloaded the car. We stopped to ask what is going on. It is like a piece of history that is just being demolished, so we are quite shocked."

Ratliff Brothers & Company, Inc., of Kewanee, is the company hired to demolish the building. Project foreman Terry Neirynck said Monday it probably would take all month to complete the demolition work.

The PEO had indicated in court that once the demolition is completed, it plans to offer the land to the city to use as a park, but no formal action has been taken to confirm the plan.

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