SCOTT COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — One of Kentucky’s oldest homes is being dismantled in Scott County, raising questions about why an 18th-century home can be brought down so easily.
The Stone-Grant House has stood in Georgetown since 1787. It’s being brought down because it has been empty for a few years and to make room for development, said Philip Drake, a trustee for the co-owner of the property. Each piece of the home is being carefully cataloged in the hopes it can be rebuilt on another site.
“Unfortunately, homes that are listed on the national register for historic places are not actually safeguarded from demolition or inappropriate rehabilitation,” said Kitty Dougoud, a staff member at the Kentucky Heritage Center.
She explained it’s often up to local rules to protect historic homes. Georgetown has laws to protect historic properties, but they only apply to the downtown area, where the Stone-Grant House sits outside of, according to Mayor Tom Prather.
He said the rules they do have don’t hold teeth. The rules should change, he said, acknowledging how they wrestle between property rights and maintaining the history of the community.”
The home was once home to Barton Stone, a late 18th-century minister who founded the Disciples of Christ.
LEX18 spoke with people of Georgetown, and they said they had no clue the historic home would be taken down until deconstruction was already underway.
“If it’s been there that long, it should stay so future generations can appreciate what we have in this county,” said Georgetown resident Gina Kirwan, who said local leaders should work to change laws to protect old buildings.
