The American Red Cross can finally concentrate completely on business at hand thanks to the recent acquisition of its former headquarters at 302 Congress St.

Jason Bange, disaster program manager for Northwestern Pennsylvania in Bradford, said the sale of the house was closed last week.

“We were working on the final closing details when I noticed the sold sign was put on it last Thursday,” Bange said. “It is bittersweet to see the building sold, as it served the Red Cross and the Bradford community well for over 45 years.”

Bange said he walked through the Congress Street house one last time last week to make sure the agency had gathered up all of its belongings. On the outside of the structure, near the garage, a Goodwill Industries collection bin that had been onsite for the past several years, was also removed.

Bange said he believes the house was purchased by a private landlord, but had no additional details. Staff at Penn Laurel Realty couldn’t be reached for more information on Monday.

He said while the transition has been somewhat sad, the agency’s new location in the Hooker-Fulton building “is much more accessible and is better situated to meet the future needs of the Red Cross and the communities we serve.”

Pam Masi, executive director of the American Red Cross of Northwestern Pennsylvania in Erie, said the house will likely be remembered as the Red Cross office in Bradford for years to come, as it served the agency’s mission well.

“As we go into 2017, the American Red Cross will celebrate 100 years of serving the Bradford community and we are happy to be settled in and moving forward from our new location,” Masi said.   

The Red Cross put the house on the market in November of 2015 after more than 45 years of ownership. Agency officials decided to move to the offices in the Hooker-Fulton building at 125 Main St., Suite 505, after determining the Congress Street house was larger and more costly than what was needed to operate efficiently. The relocation was part of a national Red Cross strategy to serve more people by reducing operating expenses.

The new office space was donated to the Red Cross by the owners of the Hooker‑Fulton building, Bashir and Sons LLC of New York City, with the Red Cross paying for its own utilities.

Bange currently is the only paid employee and is assisted by an office volunteer. He provides or coordinates disaster services, community preparedness and education, and services to the armed forces for eight counties.