Ownership of VFW home reverts to county

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA — For one dollar, Wayne County became the owner of the former Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) building and property in Hawley. The deed was transferred to the county at the September 30 meeting of the county commissioners.

The building will continue to be operated as a senior center by the county’s Office of the Aging.

“The VFW has not had a functioning membership for over a year,” said Joseph Drake, a former officer of the veterans’ group. “Since we do not have a board of directors because of lack of membership, our status as a VFW post was removed by the national organization. I tried to get the veterans of the Vietnam War and the Gulf War interested but was unsuccessful. The building and property were owned by a group called the Hawley Home Association, an organization close to us, which deeded the property over to the county.”

The building will be called the Robert J. Drake Senior Center in memory of Drake’s brother, who died of wounds sustained in World War II.

“We will allow the building to be used for activities by veterans groups if our schedule allows,” said Andrea Whyte, director of the county’s human services department.

In recent years, the county had rented the building and used it as a community center where seniors received free lunch and other assistance programs.