Even before the New York State Thruway was built, there was the Red Apple Rest on Route 17 in the Hamlet of Southfields in the Town of Tuxedo.

People who remember the iconic restaurant in its heyday stopped by the iconic site to watch the symbolic end of an era, as a portion of the old 1930's restaurant was torn down.

"Every time we'd be out doing our thing back in the day, this was our stopping hole to eat," says Morgan Grant, from Suffern.

The Orange County landmark was once a thriving business that put the hamlet on the map as a midway point for New York City travelers headed to the Catskills.

"In the summertime, this section of the building was an open area with a counter where you served busloads of people who came on the way up to the Catskills," says Betty Langberg, with the Tuxedo Historical Society.

It's been closed since 2006 and is in disrepair

As soon as demo began on Monday, people took to social media – posting pictures, sharing memories and even reaching out to News 12 to alert us of the building's fate.

Ownership of the Red Apple Rest changed hands from Reuben Freed to Peter Kourakos in the 1980's. The restaurant was kept open for a few decades but was condemned in 2007 because of roof damage.

Town officials say about a third of the building is now being torn down because of new structural concerns after a section collapsed several months ago.

"It's unfortunate," says Langberg. "It's sad to see it go."

The Red Apple Rest was featured in several Woody Allen films and is considered a landmark in the community – even as it is now

"I hope they do something with it," says Grant. "Another restaurant, I hope. It's sad."

The town says so far, the current owner has no plans.

News 12 reached out to Kourakos for comment but hasn't heard back.