Jason Hicks sees more than an aging building when he looks at the American Legion hall that has served as a gathering place for military veterans and other community members since the 1970s.

Hicks sees a freshly painted interior and other improvements needed to continue the building’s tradition of community and make it even stronger.

“I’m trying to get more interest back in the legion, especially after what happened to Holyrood,” he said of the post that lost its building to strong winds earlier this year.

“People have started to realize how much a part of the community it is.”

In recent weeks, the U.S. Marine Corps veteran and his cousin, Sam Hunter, could be found painting the building’s entry way. Grant by grant, Hicks, post vice commander, and other volunteers are making his vision a reality.

“Nobody wants to get married in a building that looks like it did when their grandparents were married,” Hicks said.

Ellsworth’s Gary Belt was commander in 1972 when legion members voted to build the single story building near the intersection of K-140 and K-156.

Belt, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam, joined the legion in 1969. The post is named after late Ellsworth attorney Paul Aylward, who donated the land for the building.

Before the building opened for use, legion members met above what is now True Value Hardware.

“The night we voted on that — some parts of that were pretty heated,” Belt remembered.

He said 99 percent of the interior work, including the wiring and the floors, was done by the members.

“I don’t know how many we had but we had a bunch,” Belt said. “Many of them have passed.”

Over the years, the legion building has been the place to have dances, weddings, receptions and other gatherings. At one time, Belt said, a bartender kept the bar going full-time.

“It just kind of died out,” he said.

The building looks much as it did when it was built.

Current commander George Martin said inmates at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility remodeled the rest rooms to make them handicapped accessible and performed other jobs. The legion recently submitted a work order to have inmates do more work, including laying new carpet in the entryway and on the stage.

Meanwhile, the Sons of the American Legion have talked about the possibility of a new building; however, the more than $1 million price tag has been a barrier.

Ellsworth city administrator Scott Moore said Sons representatives met recently with the Dane G. Hansen Foundation’s Betty Johnson as part of Ellsworth County’s participation in the organization’s Strategic Doing program. Options were discussed, including the possibility of a new building that would share space with an entity other than the legion. Moore said tourism and a Convention and Visitors Bureau are possibilities.

Another more recent idea is to include a “safe space” in case of a tornado or some other emergency.

Moore said Sons of the American Legion members plan to meet with Johnson again in October to update her on their progress.

Hicks, who is not involved in the new building effort, said one of his goals is to increase membership at a time when not joining an organization is more popular than joining.

Martin said the Ellsworth legion has about 110 members, compared to 160 or more in its heyday.

Earlier this month, legion members served 130 steaks at a dinner. That followed a Labor Day hot

dog and hamburger feed. More activities are planned.

The commander credits Hicks with bringing the 6th District Fall Convention to Ellsworth for the first time. The meeting of members from 30 posts will be Saturday, Oct. 5, with Moore as the evening banquet speaker.

Martin said Hicks attended leadership school after he became vice commander and returned home from the Concordia-Belleville area, where the district meeting is typically conducted, and suggested Ellsworth members apply to host the session.

With the assistance of VFW auxiliary president Gloria Marez, American Legion members have plans in place for the district meeting. All that is needed now are paint and a few more brushes.