FARMINGTON -- A three-story, once majestic, white house on Old Farmington Road that would light up the town during Christmas came down last week.
Connie Thomas, who owned the house with her husband Mike from 1993 to around 2013, said she had good memories in the house but was in a way relieved to see it demolished. The 1858 house had been vandalized and was in disrepair.
"It was worse just seeing it fall apart," Thomas said.
Thomas said her husband, who passed away in 2017, had been interested in buying a two-story house when they looked at the house. The owner at the time was planning to tear down the house and develop the land.
He agreed to give them the house if they would purchase the land around it, and the parties struck a deal.
No one had lived in the house for three years. It didn't have any heat. And the previous tenants raised big dogs inside the house.
"It was an instant remodel. We worked on it everyday. I think Mike slept with a hammer in his hand."
Thomas said many people thought they were going to turn it into a bed and breakfast inn. But that wasn't their intention.
"It was just our home."
The couple's two children grew up in the house. Their son married at the house and others used the property for weddings. Thomas didn't charge anyone for the weddings because she was glad to make it available.
Many high school students used the front stairway and bridge for prom photos every year.
But for many people traveling through Farmington, the house was best known during the Christmas holiday.
For at least 15 years, Mike and Connie Thomas hired an electrician to string lights all around the house, around the columns, the winding staircase, three gazebos and across a bridge. Thomas said the lights were her husband's idea as a way to give back to the community.
In 2007, for example, the house and property had 94,200 lights brightening up the sky.
The Thomases moved from the house in September 2013 because of a business bankruptcy and foreclosure on their house. A liability lawsuit was filed against their business because of an injury. Thomas said they had liability insurance but not enough to cover the settlement so they lost their home.
In 2013, Holland House Holdings purchased about 10 acres that included land on Main Street going back to Old Farmington Road. The white house was part of the purchase.
In April 2018, the Planning Commission approved a development plan submitted by Holland House Holdings for a new retail/office building on Main Street and storage units on the property behind it. This project never materialized.
Brad Smith, owner of Sycamore Investments, said he signed a contingency contract to buy 4.3 acres about six months ago. One of the contingencies was the approval of a lot split.
The city on Feb. 21 approved a lot split at the request of Holland House Holdings, and about 4 acres, which includes the southern portion of the land and the 1858 house at 272 E. Old Farmington Road, was sold for $350,000 to Sycamore Investments, according to Washington County records.
Last week, the city issued a demolition permit to Jerry Coyle with Coyle Construction to tear down the house.
Smith said the old house was demolished for safety reasons. He estimated it would have cost $500,000 possibly up to $1 million to restore the old home.
"I would say it was beyond repair," Smith said. "It was in horrible shape."
The house had rotten floors, broken glass all over the place and water infiltration.
"It was a very dangerous place," Smith said.
Smith said he offered the house to Farmington Fire Department to use as a training exercise but the department declined because of the condition of the house.
Fire Chief Mark Cunningham said he sent two firefighters to look at the house and they determined the structure was unsafe to use for any training.
Once the house is demolished and the land cleared, Smith said he will look at what's the best use of the property. He's interested in some type of housing.
"We want to do things that are nice and are well received," Smith said.
The 4-acre tract is zoned R-2, single-family residential, according to City Hall.
NW News on 05/31/2020