This derelict home at 822-24 Washington Avenue in Tyrone’s historic district is set for demolition. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

TYRONE — The borough plans to use Community Development Block Grant funds to tear down a derelict Victorian house on Washington Avenue that is a contributing structure in Tyrone’s historic district, triggering a requirement to “mitigate” the harm.

Borough Council members informally agreed that installing supplementary signage on street sign posts to identify the neighborhood as historic would serve the purpose.

An examination of damage caused by water leakage has provided evidence to the State Historic Preservation Office that using the federal money for demolition is acceptable, because it wouldn’t be financially feasible to rehabilitate the house, due to its estimated $1 million cost, said Blair County CDBG program administrator Trina Illig, who spoke at a Borough Council meeting this week.

The borough will need to sign a formal agreement for the demolition with SHPO before funds are released, Illig said.

“The house was beautiful in its day,” Mayor Bill Latchford said after the meeting. “It’s (now) in total disarray.”

The property was a source of trouble even years ago, when he worked in the borough’s Water Department, said Borough Manager Ardean Latchford, the mayor’s brother.

There have been efforts by codes to bring the property into compliance, but at one point, it was sold at tax sale, forcing the Codes Department to “start over,” the manager said.

People who go to tax sales thinking they are getting a “great deal on an old house” need to be aware of the amount of work and investment required to bring it up to standard, the mayor said.

Many are unprepared, he said.

The property is slated again for the county’s judicial tax sale in June, according to Illig, although that presumably would be after the structure is gone.

The demolition will need to be advertised for bid, according to Illig.

SHPO would like to see architecturally significant materials salvaged, if possible, she said.

Demolition workers will need to keep dust to a minimum and vermin that may be harboring in the house are also a concern, she said.

After demolition, there will need to be screening to “mask that void,” Illig said.

When the demolition is done, the property needs to be liened for the demolition cost, according to Illig.

The borough’s 2022 CDBG allocation is $110,000.

Housing rehabilitation is the main activity to be funded this year, according to Illig, who administers the program for the borough under a cooperative agreement between the borough and the county.

“How do we prevent this from happening to other historic buildings?” asked Councilman Rob Poust.

Often by the time such cases come to the attention of her office, the buildings are too far gone, Illig replied.

Abandoned buildings provide a breeding area for crime, including drug crime, said resident Deb Moore, speaking about blight generally.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.