The demolition date for the Smouse House has been set for Monday, September 26th. The Washington Historic Preservation Commission approved the demolition on June 20th, citing its long-term vacancy, safety hazards, and the current estimate that it would cost over $1.5 million to renovate. At the July 5th Washington City Council meeting, the council unanimously approved a demolition permit. However, the demolition could not ultimately be finalized until the National Register of Historic Places supported the demolition. 

Jeff Hazelett, an associate and realtor at the Elliott Realty Group who owns the property, explains what ultimately led to this demolition.

“We felt like that it was one of the best locations in all of Washington; we knew the house had been deteriorating for years. The price of it finally became right, so we purchased it. We were then informed that a couple of businesses possibly wanted to move into there, so we worked over two years trying to raise enough money to renovate it. At the end of the day, it has deteriorated to a point where it is no longer economically feasible to renovate it.”

For more information about the demolition, contact the City of Washington.