Let’s approach this news item chronologically.In the beginning, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported on the sad decline of the historic Yenowine-Nichols-Collins House in Georgetown, and the dispute that had arisen over the obligation of the current owners to repair the structure. The story was picked up by the Associated Press.
Owners pressed to fix historic home (in the Indianapolis Star).
GEORGETOWN, Ind. -- Preservationists fear a 173-year-old home could collapse this winter if the owners do not soon begin court-ordered repairs.
But the dispute over the Yenowine-Nichols-Collins House hinges on a little-tested type of easement intended to protect historic buildings from encroaching development, The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., reported Sunday.
Owners Charles Meyer and Lynda Riggle Meyer want to move the house to make room for commercial development on the remaining acreage, according to a lawsuit filed in Floyd Circuit Court by Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.
The restoration issue was rendered moot early Monday morning. As reported by Chris Morris of the New Albany Tribune on Tuesday, November 1, Georgetown home destroyed by fire. The complete text is reprinted here.
A piece of Floyd County history went up in smoke early Monday morning.
Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department Chief Terry Herthel said the Yenowine-Nichols-Collins House, located on Ind. 64, was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived around 2:15 a.m.
Besides Georgetown, Lafayette VFD also helped battle the blaze which took 45 minutes to extinguish, according to Herthel. He also said the state fire marshal sorted through the charred remains Monday.
The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Greg Sekula, director of the Southern Regional office of the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, said the home was built around 1830. He also said the Historic Landmarks Foundation was currently in litigation with the owners, and did not want to comment until he spoke with the organization’s attorney.
The litigation centered around getting the owners, Charles Meyer and Lynda Riggle Meyer, to repair and preserve the deteriorating building as required by an architectural facade easement. No one was currently living in the home.
Mabelle Collins, the former owner who died in 1994 after living in the house most of her life, had the easement written in 1983 to preserve the place “in perpetuity.” That required subsequent owners to repair it and the landmarks foundation to make sure it’s kept up.
A judge ordered the Meyers to get bids for repair work by Oct. 17. On Oct. 11, an attorney for the Meyers filed a motion that said the repairs would cost $274,262, and a separate appraisal that concluded the building was worth only $21,500. A Nov. 8 hearing has been scheduled on that request.
Due to the extensive damage, the home may have to be torn down, according to fire officials.
Photos are borrowed from the Courier-Journal's story (by Dick Kaukas) on the fire.Today, in one of the most stunning coincidences since city councilman Steve Price last jerked his knee to vote “no,” Kaukas of the C-J reports:
Georgetown fire called arson; historic home gutted by blaze (short shelf life for C-J links).
A fire that gutted a historic home in Georgetown Monday morning was caused by arson, a spokeswoman for the state fire marshal said yesterday.
"It was a set fire. There were signs of accelerants," said Pam Bright, a spokeswoman for the fire marshal.
Duh, indeed.
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ReplyDeleteThe disheartening thing about this particular instance of arson isn't just the torching itself.
ReplyDeleteIt's the preludes and opening acts, in which the owners publicly sought to evade responsibility for something they certainly knew going in, which to my mind is tantamount to establishing a precondition for extralegal solutions.
At some point, you're so "mad as hell" that the law no longer matters.
I remember this house well--my schoolbus went past it every day on the way to Georgetown Elementary.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, too, is that Mabelle Collins left the house to some other relative when she died, and the current owners contested the will and gained ownership.
I think the Meyers should still be held responsible for repairing the building. Assuming they had proper insurance (and anyone legitimately trying to preserve the building would), they have a pay off coming. That, coupled with the $250,000 they made from previously selling a portion of the land, should cover it.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't want the responsibility they apparently fought to gain for themselves, they could be allowed to sell the building for what they paid for it, minus the $250K and the insurance pay off.
Otherwise, the foundation should sue for the building and the cost of repairs.
I'm waiting to see what the persons being questioned have to reveal about this. The house has stood vacant practically since Miss Collins died. Odd indeed that it should go up in flames now.
ReplyDeletePersonal responsibility seems like a common theme amongst the bloggers.
ReplyDeleteAs you can imagine;
I agree