Dunmore’s American Legion honored its late, longtime commander by renaming itself after him in November, and now, the Legion will build a new headquarters on borough-owned land to coincide with its new identity.
Dunmore Borough Council unanimously voted Monday to authorize Solicitor Michael P. Perry to execute a 99-year lease for $1 with the American Legion Commander Stephen B. Lavelle Victory Post 13 for a vacant, Dunmore-owned lot at 618 S. Blakely St. that will someday become the post’s new headquarters.
“(It’s a) huge, huge help,” said post Commander Matt Rought. “We’re just a veterans organization trying to get a spot to meet.”
The post has not had a permanent headquarters in nearly 20 years since it sold its previous building at Clay Avenue and William Street in 2006, with the former post headquarters at 1110 Clay Ave. now used as a hospice center and surgical facility.
The building on Clay Avenue had been the Legion’s longtime home, even having its own bowling alley during its heyday, but with few active members, it became too much for the post, Rought said.
“Repairs were kind of adding up,” he said, explaining the building had needed a new roof when it was sold. “We decided at that time to sell the building.”
Post 13 sold its headquarters for $310,000, according to a property transaction recorded June 2, 2006.
Since then, the post has held its monthly meetings at Sherwood Park, Rought said. While he noted his gratitude toward the park for allowing the Legion to use the property free, Rought said it’s more difficult recruiting younger generations of members without a physical building.
“It’s hard to convince someone who’s just in the service now or just getting out of their first contract … to say, ‘Hey, listen, join my post,’ and we’re just a bunch of guys meeting at the park,” he said.
Discussions about finding a new brick-and-mortar headquarters started last year after the post renamed itself from the American Legion Victory Post 13 to the Commander Stephen B. Lavelle Victory Post 13 in honor of Lavelle, who had been the commander for more than 30 years until his death in June 2024, Rought said. Lavelle was also the acting commander of the state American Legion when he passed, he said.
“If anybody deserves to have their name on a building, it’s him,” Rought said of Lavelle, who was also his father-in-law, commending his dedication to the American Legion.
After renaming their post, and as they work to recruit more young members, members began talking about finding a new headquarters, he said.
“Everybody kind of just decided we wanted to have something to call our own,” Rought said.
The post initially looked to build on land in Bunker Hill, but when that didn’t pan out, Rought said they reached out to the borough for ideas. Borough Manager Greg Wolff, who is a member of the American Legion post, was instrumental and spearheaded much of the process, Rought said.
“We weren’t even looking, initially, to get a lease for $1 or anything like that,” he said. “We were just looking like, ‘Hey, is there anything available?’ because it’s hard to find property in Dunmore, for this purpose especially.”
They met with Councilman Tom Hallinan, and agreed it would be a win-win for Dunmore and the American Legion, Rought said.
The project is turning an eyesore into something more productive, Hallinan said.
“How do we say no to the people that serve this country and put their lives on the line for us, and we have a piece of property that is doing absolutely nothing for us?” Hallinan said. “It’s 1,000% improvement.”
Dunmore acquired the 3,100-square-foot parcel in November 2007 through a declaration of taking of a condemned property, according to a notice recorded with the Lackawanna County recorder of deeds on Nov. 29, 2007.
There was once a home on the land, but the site has long been vacant, Wolff said.
With the lease agreement, the post now plans to construct a new building on the site, Rought said. Although they don’t yet have a specific timeline, the legion plans to initially use it as their meeting space and later open a bar for Legionnaires, with funds from the bar covering operating costs, he said.
The post still has money from the sale of its previous building in an investment account, and they plan to apply for a grant through the American Legion, he said.
Rought noted that their upcoming headquarters is just down the street from the Dunmore Tank Memorial.
“That was almost like divine intervention. When we talked about the property, Greg told me where it was and everything, and I was just kind of speechless,” Rought said. “You look out the front door, you’ll see it.”
Council President Janet Brier said the borough is very pleased to give the land to those who served the country.
“They should have their own place to meet, and everything about it is perfect,” Brier said. “We’re repurposing it for a very good cause. We’re thrilled that the American Legion wants it.”