Doylestown’s American Legion Post Gives Local Veterans a Financial Shot in the Arm

DOYLESTOWN, PA—Doylestown’s American Legion post received a big shot in the arm earlier this month when State Rep. Tim Brennan and State Sen. Steve Santarsiero presented a $100,000 check.

The two state legislators visited the Albert R. Atkinson Jr. American Legion Post 210 to present the funds on Aug. 5. The post, which was built in 1933, has seen better days and needs significant repairs, so the $100,000 grant will help. There have been mold and drainage issues in the basement of the building, and it needs upgrades to its electrical system, windows, kitchens and bathrooms.

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A $100,000 grant presented in 2022 by State Sen. Steve Santarsiero helped fund repairs to the front steps and paved areas around the building. Pete Scott, the post’s commander, said that grant not only paid for critical repairs, but inspired the veterans to fight for their post. “We started believing we could actually save the building,” Scott said.

The post used the 2022 grant to focus primarily on exterior work. “The parking lot was a disaster,” Scott said. “It was a trip and fall hazard. One more bad winter would have destroyed it. The front steps were not just unsafe, to the point they hadn’t been used in over a decade—they were also an eyesore from the street.”

The American Legion hall, which is on North Street behind St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, is worth saving, the veterans say, because for decades it has served as a home base not only for the local American Legion, but a host of organizations serving veterans and community organizations. The long list of groups that use the space includes disabled veterans, the Marine Corps League, the Civil Air Patrol, the Boy Scouts, Alcoholics Anonymous and the American Legion Baseball team.

Despite that history, the building’s future was not always guaranteed. Last year, the American Legion held a vote to decide whether it should keep the hall and pay hundreds of thousands in repairs or sell the building. The vote was close, but members decided it was important for veterans who use the building to have a physical presence in town.

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At the check presentation this month, Brennan talked about the importance of supporting the building and the veterans who use it. “It’s one thing to voice your support for veterans,” Brennan said. “It’s another to demonstrate it. Time and again, this community demonstrates its respect for the people who have served our country, and I’m proud I get to be part of that.”

Looking ahead, a group of members from the American Legion and the VFW is exploring strategies to raise money to repair the building and bring in revenue. They’re working on a five-year plan to stabilize and shore up the building and its finances.

Earlier this year, the post created a GoFundMe page. The page is trying to raise $300,000 to apply to building repairs and renovations.

For more information on the post’s efforts to raise money for repairs, see TAPinto Doylestown’s previous coverage.

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