The historical significance of a home on E. Pine Street could delay the county’s plans for demolition.

Following a presentation from Rebecca Shepard, associate director of UD’s Center for Historic Architecture and Design (CHAD), Georgetown Town Council voted on June 25 to request a proposal for further research into what could be one of the county seat’s oldest buildings.

According to Shepard, the home at 115 E. Pine St. could be more than 200 years old. Unfortunately, though, it is not within the town’s historic district, and Sussex County had made plans to demolish it for future office space or parking.

The county, which has obtained a demolition permit, is within its rights to demolish the structure. The town, however, sent a letter to the county, following the June 25 meeting, suspending the timeline for the permit in an attempt to resolve the issue.

“I feel we can’t afford to lose a structure of that period because there aren’t that many left,” councilman Charlie Koskey said. “We don’t have a beach; we don’t have a lake; the only thing we have here is history, and if we start tearing it down, we won’t have anything.”

Councilwoman Sue Barlow echoed his comments.

“We’re losing historic buildings at an alarming rate, especially to the county for parking lots,” she said.

Assistant to the Sussex County Administrator Hal Godwin said the county is willing to work with the town or any private group interested in preserving the building.

“We’ve budgeted some money to raze both of those buildings… and we would be happy to make that a contribution to move the buildings instead,” Godwin said. “It’s a cooperative effort to do the right thing.”

The property in question could also play out alongside the neighboring building at 111 E. Pine St., another potentially historic property owned by the county that is within the town’s historic district and would require town approval to demolish.

The town’s planning commission voted 3-0 on June 18 to recommend not granting a demolition permit for the property at 111 E. Pine St., and the request was removed by the county from the June 25 council agenda.

CHAD will submit a proposal for further research at the request of council, and town manager Gene Dvornick said the county is willing to put the demolition funds into preserving or moving the existing structure.
“We’re working in a spirit of cooperation,” Dvornick said.