Brown County Fair board president Aaron Dittbenner said they were reluctant to demolish the building, which was the oldest structure at the fairgrounds, but the building was falling into disrepair and the costs to repair were too high.

“A few years ago the building was hit by a tree during a storm,” Dittbenner said. “It hit the roof and damaged some rafters.”

The tree hit the building at nearly 50 mph. The building already had problems with its foundation and Dittbenner said the tree impact made the problem worse. The corner of the exhibition hall shifted, resulting in a large crack in the brick wall that has expanded.

Dittbenner said the cost to repair the roof the exhibition hall was around $20,000. However, there was no guarantee the wall would stay standing and there were still problems with the foundation. Repairing the building had become cost prohibitive.

An excavator begins digging into the 1909 exhibition hall at the Brown County fairgrounds Monday. The building had sustained significant damage over the last few years and was no longer safe to occupy. The fair board chose to demolition the building as the repair costs were too great.

“No one is excited about this, but we have to do it,” Dittbenner said.

The exhibition hall was originally constructed in 1909 and was used to show horticulture exhibits. In the last few years it became an exhibit hall for Future Farmers of America (FFA). During the fair FFA chapters would show small animals such as baby chicks and calves.

The fair board made the decision to demolish the building last spring. Due to safety concerns, the building was not open to the public during the 2025 Brown County County Fair in August.

The demolition began 10 a.m. Monday. Fairgrounds manager John Dietz supervised the demolition with Alex Carder operating the excavator. The entire demolition process took an hour.

Dietz said it was a sad day to see the oldest bigger go, but there were no other options in terms of maintenance.

The west facing wall of the 1909 exhibition hall at the Brown County fairgrounds was pulled down by an excavator Monday morning. The 116 year old building was fully demolished. Damaged to the building made the structure a safety hazard.

Carder said the roof of the structure was stronger than anticipated, but the brick walls came down relatively quickly.

It is unknown what will happen with the site now that the building is gone. Dittbenner said the board has a tentative plan, but nothing is official yet.

“It is sad to see the building go, but it had a long life, but everything has its time,” Dittbenner said.

Decorative ribbons still hang in the interior of former Brown County Fairground’s exhibition building as it is demolished.

The north side of the 1909 exhibit hall at the Brown County fairgrounds was the last to be demolished. The building had begun to deteriorate over the last few year. A had hit the roof of the building causing damage to the rafters. The tree damage is visible on the right side of the building. After the tree impact, the structure shifted on its foundation, creating a crack in the corner (visible on the lower left side of the north face).

An excavator digs into the north face the oldest building at the Brown County fairgrounds. The building was originally constructed in 1909 as an exhibition hall and was used to show horticulture displays. In recent years it was used by the Future Farmers of America (FFA).

Brown County Fairgrounds manager John Dietz (left) and excavator operator Alec Carder (right) examine the remains of the 1909 exhibition hall, which was torn down Monday morning.

The south face of the Brown County Fairground’s exhibition hall shortly after its construction in 1909. Photo curtesy of Brown County Historical Society.