An historic Oxford Village home that was originally supposed to be moved and become a charming bed-and-breakfast was instead demolished today (Wednesday, July 25).
‘On a personal level, I’m very disappointed that the (Downtown Development Authority) is not saving that house,? said DDA member Sue Bossardet. ‘I’ve tried for a year to protect it, but I’m in the minority here.?
This morning heavy equipment began tearing down the two-story, 4,300-square-foot house located at 19 W. Burdick Street, directly across from the village offices.
Built in the late 1800s, it was once home to Clarence E. Stanton, who was Oxford Bank’s cashier from 1884-1921 and director from 1900-21.
An active man in local politics, Stanton served as township treasurer in 1891 and as village president from 1900-03 and again from 1905-08.
‘From a historic preservation (standpoint), it is a disappointment, I think, to everyone that has any interest in history and preserving architecture,? said DDA Director Carolyn Bennett.
In 2005, the DDA bought the home, which had served as an adult foster care facility for many years, for $390,000.
Plans are to use the land to expand parking in downtown’s northwest quadrant (see story on page 1). The rear portion of 19 W. Burdick. was turned into a temporary gravel parking lot last year.
The Oxford-based Mitchell Corporation, owned by Jeff Gerds, worked out an agreement with the DDA to relocate the historic house to 55 E. Burdick St., across from the Oxford Post Office.
Gerds, who’s currently spending a year in Iraq working for a private company training police officers, had planned to renovate the historic house and open a bed-and-breakfast, an amenity Oxford lacks.
However, Gerd’s father, Bob, said the state’s poor economy put the kibosh on his proposed business venture.
‘With the economy right now and the type of money that would be required (as an investment), it just wouldn’t be feasible,? Bob explained.
Now that plans are rolling to reconstruct and expand the entire northwest parking lot, the DDA said the historic house had to go.
‘Unfortunately, we have a situation where we’re forced to make a decision,? Bennett said. ‘The DDA board has made a decision that they’d like to move ahead with the parking lot.?
The Mitchell Corporation is handling the demolition. Bob Gerds said it will probably take four to five days, depending on weather, to demolish the house, remove all debris, backfill the site with clean material and level the land.
‘There’s not going to be an unsightly hole (there for Celebrate Oxford),? said Bossardet, addressing a concern raised during a village Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Monday night.
Bennett said both Gerds were ‘well aware of Celebrate Oxford? and ‘both of them have assured us that it will be done.?
The ZBA made it clear in a motion they want the area where the house used to sit ‘roped off? for safety reasons and so it’s not used for parking until paved.
‘We weren’t planning on using it for parking, so it shouldn’t be an issue,? Bennett said.