A significant piece of Bassett’s history was lost Monday, June 23, when a two-story structure, located at Reed and Stone streets and former home of Adams Furniture, was demolished due to safety concerns.
“This is one of a series of buildings that went up in the early 1930s,” said local historian Andrew Doss, who has studied and photographed the area’s architecture. “Originally, the Reed Stone mansion sat on this block, with the Bassett Mercantile on its left and a shop on the right.”
As the town developed, J.D. Bassett and Reed Stone partnered on much of Bassett’s early commercial expansion. Before its demolition, it had been painted black, and “was the last one to have a second level surviving,” Doss said. “It’s safe to say that ‘Stone Block,’ as this was called, was the heart and soul of Bassett for many decades, even after the Main Street stores had gone away.”
The demolition of the building was not part of the county’s long-term plan to address unsafe structures, but an emergency action, said Lee Clark, director of Planning, Zoning & Inspections.
“The county Board of Supervisors has us analyzing other dilapidated structures, so we are making an effort to focus on eliminating additional unsafe and dilapidated structures around the county,” Clark said. “But this was not one of those. This was an emergency situation that had to be dealt with.”
Dr. Pam Cobler, who represents the Reed Creek District, said the county had considered alternatives. “There have been many lengthy discussions about it. The county looked at every possible avenue to save it,” she said.
Cobler said she was informed it was the most dangerous structure in the county, prompting the board to allocate $48,600 for its demolition.
“The building has been classified by our building official as unsafe for several years now,” Clark added. “We tried working with the property owner, but due to years of neglect, it became unsafe, and collapse was imminent.”
The demolition caused damage to a neighboring landmark: the roof of an adjacent building collapsed during the process. That building formerly housed Stafford’s Jewelers, and more recently the Farmer’s Market.
“Unfortunately, and the building inspector might help us here, it looks like the demolition caused the roof to collapse at the front” of the Farmer’s Market building,” Doss said.
That business was among two neighboring businesses to temporarily vacate for safety reasons. Property owners were advised to line their roofs with plywood.
“The building owner on the left did that so his tenants could stay,” Clark said. “The building on the right, which had the same owner as the two-story building, decided not to do that. So, we had to have them vacate the building.”
“They have since repaired that—rebuilt the walls, rebuilt the ceiling structure and roof—and have been able to save that building.” Clark said.
“The loss of this building is a bit of a heartbreaker,” Doss added. “Years of neglect.”
As of now, no plans have been announced for the newly vacant space.
