Century’s Historic District To Remain; About $1 Million For Tornado Rehab

August 17, 2016

The repair or replacement of about 30 percent of the residential properties in the in the Alger-Sullivan Historical District due to the February tornado will likely not impact the area’s listing on then National Register of Historical Places.

That  was the word Tuesday afternoon from Jason Aldridge, deputy state historic preservation officer from the Florida Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources.

The historic district includes 45 buildings on about 230 acres, and is roughly bounded by Pinewood Avenue, Front Street, Jefferson Avenue, Church Street and Mayo Street. Numerous structures in the historic district were damaged or destroyed by the  EF-3 tornado that struck Century six months ago.

About $800,000 to $1 million in grant and housing funds are expected to be available to make the repairs or replacements for needy homeowners, most of which did not have insurance on their shotgun-style houses that were built as worker housing about 100 years ago by the lumber company.

“You still have a historic core here,” Aldridge said. “We want to rehab these houses as possible, but you won’t lose your status (on the National Register)…generally we don’t like to remove things.”

Pensacola architect Carter Quina will design the replacement homes — historically accurate with modern amenities and compliance for the disabled. Most of the homes will be on Front Street.

“We have photos of all the current houses that will be replaced,” he said. “(In the replacement home) there may be a little image of the original house in there, but less grand old wasted space.” And true to the shotgun houses of the period, each home will have a front porch “for the sitters that like the share the news up and down the street”.

Once funding is approved, it should only take a matter of weeks to obtain permits and four to five months to construct a home after a lot is cleared, Quina said.

Pictured top: A typical tornado damaged shotgun house on Front Street in Century. Pictured inset: Alger Sullivan Historical Society member Jerry Fischer (seated) listens to Jason Aldridge, deputy state historic preservation officer during a meeting Tuesday at the Leach House Museum. Pictured below: Historic district residents review a district map. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

4 Responses to “Century’s Historic District To Remain; About $1 Million For Tornado Rehab”

  1. Carolyn Bramblett on August 17th, 2016 7:10 am

    What an outrageous waste once again of tax dollars. Oh that pot of gold that continues to grow in debt!

  2. fisherman on August 17th, 2016 7:04 am

    @Traumaqueen
    It’s not that the occupants didn’t care enough about their homes to insure them, it’s that no insurance company would insure them. Had this happen to my mother in law. Spent weeks trying to get her insurance no luck. Family had to take care of it.

  3. say it aint so on August 17th, 2016 6:40 am

    what about the people that live on pond street on jefferson what about century community center on jefferson we see how this playing out no dog in this fight just asking

  4. Traumaqueen on August 17th, 2016 5:43 am

    So the occupants didn’t care enough about their historic homes to insure them so Century is going to pay to have them fixed up? Yep sounds logical!

    BTW did you happen to see the condition of the houses pre tornado? I drove through there yesterday on my way to Brewton and the houses pictured look the same as they did before the tornado.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News