OUR VIEW: Council wise to wait on Blair House

Staff Editorial
Published: August 17, 2008

» SUMMARY: It’s a good idea to proceed cautiously before demolishing the Blair House, because, once gone, it can never be replaced.

The Town Council showed the wisdom of Solomon at its meeting last week in deciding to put off possible demolition of the Blair House on West Street for at least six months.
The council found itself facing a no-win situation:

On one hand stood the Architectural Review Board — whose members are appointed by the council — voting unanimously not to demolish the house built by the first pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, the Rev. Harrison Blair.

On the other hand stood the town’s planning department that said the house had no real historic value and should be razed to make room for road improvements to West Street already in the town budget for this fiscal year.

While we realize there are times when the historic must be set aside to make room for the needs of the present, it is equally true that acting in haste might cause the Town Council to later repent at leisure of its action.

Vice Mayor Billy Yowell, a Culpeper native, noted that he has received a number of calls recently about the house.

He said if the house could be moved, he would like to see that happen.

That would be a good solution, but unfortunately, the 80-year-old dwelling, though located in the Town of Culpeper Historic District, is rife with asbestos.

Any move would require the costly abatement of that asbestos, the major reason why current members of Antioch Baptist voted against acquiring the house.

Michael Lysczek, a local architect, expressed his hope that local groups like the Museum of Culpeper History, Culpeper Renaissance and Antioch Baptist Church could work together in ensuing months to come up with solutions besides razing the Blair House.

We would love to see that happen.

The bottom line is that if and when the council speaks and says it’s time for the Blair House to go, both proponents and opponents of the idea will know that every realistic option has been exhausted.