CEDAR FALLS - It took nearly 90 years for the Cedar River to finally claim the Island Park Beach House.

Finishing it off took some heavy machinery and a gray morning.

An excavator from Benton's Sand and Gravel tore into the flood-damaged building at 9:19 a.m. Thursday, officially turning a page in Cedar Falls history.

The city and the North Shore Boat Club, partners in the beach house, hope to rebuild. A fundraising drive will soon get into gear.

The beach house had endured many floods since it first opened in 1920. But when the record flood came calling last summer, it left the building sagging. It was decided the building must come down.

Dick Dobson, a boat club member, brought along a camera to witness the demolition. His club had started a Web site, savethebeachhouse.org, to promote rebuilding the structure. The site has since been changed to islandparkbeachhouse.org.

"We can't save it now," Dobson said as the excavator knocked down the eastern walls of the building.

The beach house initially had locker rooms, restrooms, a concession stand and swimsuit and towel rentals. Outside, the beach drew swimmers by the hundreds to the Cedar River. The exterior included four distinctive columns, now long gone. For that matter, swimming in the river is mostly a thing of the past.

For a quarter century the beach house served as a summer gathering spot before falling into disuse in the 1940s. It would come back as a restaurant, a penny arcade and a snack bar before the city used it for storage in the 1950s. By then, the North Shore Boat Club was operating. The club renovated the building and built the boat docks.

Another renovation in the 1960s and the facility's well-known function as home to graduation parties, weddings and retirement parties came into its own.

On Thursday workers donned protective suits to keep them safe from asbestos. Concrete from the building will have to be taken to the Black Hawk County landfill because of concerns about contamination from the flood.

Plans for a replacement building are not complete. City human and leisure services director Ward Stubbs said the Park and Recreation Commission is working on finding an architect for the project. The building will be built higher off the ground or with features that allow it to survive floods with little damage.

The boat club will soon begin its fundraising effort. A foundation account has been established at Lincoln Savings Bank. Cedar Falls artist Gary Kelley has donated an image of the beach house to help the cause. Donors of $50 to $300 or more will receive copies of the image. At the $300 and up level, they will receive a numbered and signed limited edition version.

"Our hope is we can make enough money in fundraising to give it a facade like on the original building," Dobson said.