PORTLAND, Mo. - On Aug. 13, 2010, the town lost both its most popular gathering space and a chunk of its history when the Portland Community Building burned to the ground.
Since it was built as a school in 1910, the building had served as a social center for Portland, a role it continued long after it made the transition from place of learning to the location of choice for funeral receptions, reunions, birthdays, fundraising and other gatherings.
A year after the fire, local leaders are tapping into the sense of community engendered there in order to rebuild.