TEXARKANA — Firefighters responded to a roof collapse at the four-story Regency House building, located in the 100 block of East Broad Street, early Wednesday afternoon.
A portion of the condemned building's roof fell in, said Texarkana Battalion Chief William Smith.
Sandra Arthur was on her way to the Landmark Building across the street when she heard "the awfulest racket" and saw bricks falling and dust coming up from the Regency Building.
Cars were moved from the building's front so the city's Public Works Department employees could enter and assess what needs to be done.
The building was constructed in the late 1800s and served as a dry goods store for several years, according to historical information from Beverly Rowe.
From 1934 to 1943, Texarkana National Bank occupied the location. The Masonic Lodge took over ownership of the building from 1943 to 1945. Dillard's Department Store took over the property from 1945 to 1978.
The property stood largely vacant between 1979 and 1988, when Regency House was established by Thomas G. Dunn. Regency sold china, crockery and glassware and soon became a popular place to shop for bridal showers and wedding gifts. Ownership of the store changed in 2002, according to historical information from Rowe.
Around the same time on Wednesday afternoon, a gas leak occurred as work continued at the Hotel Grim building on the Texas side of the city several blocks away.
A Texarkana Water Utilities crew struck the gas line and the smell permeated most of Texarkana's downtown area.
The roof collapse at Regency House and the gas leak at Hotel Grim are unrelated events.