Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! And the Westchester Plaza goes down in Fort Worth

Vernon Gilmore stood on a bridge Sunday morning to watch the implosion of an old friend _ the Westchester Plaza.

In his high school days, the 70-year-old Euless resident had helped his uncle paint some of the rooms at the 12-story building. And he rented his first apartment at the Westchester Plaza.

"It has memories," Gilmore said.

Those memories were imploded Sunday morning as the the Westchester Plaza was leveled. A thick cloud of dust hovered over nearby Interstate 30 just minutes after the implosion of the structure that was building in 1951.

Crowds started gathering near the Westchester Plaza early Sunday morning, many carrying lawn chairs and most armed with cameras and cell phones to record the event.

For dozens of residents, the Westchester Plaza holds fond memories. It was designed by Seattle architect John H. Graham and replaced two Queen Anne cattle baron mansions similar to "Thistle Hill," which is on Pennsylvania Avenue.

In its last few years, it was a building for an older community.

Police blocked off several streets near the building at 8th Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Gilmore and his wife, Cindy, walked up to the bridge over I-30 just minutes before the implosion.

The Euless resident noted he did not get to see when a Dallas hotel where he and his wife spent their honeymoon was imploded or when his elementary school was torn down.

"Wow! That must mean I'm getting old," Gilmore said referring to the number of buildings being torn down. "We had a chance to make this one so we're here."

And boom, it was done in seconds.

Domingo Ramirez Jr.: 817-390-7763, @mingoramirezjr

This story was originally published March 18, 2018 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! And the Westchester Plaza goes down in Fort Worth."