The North Annex on Grant Line Road, current home of the Floyd County Youth Shelter, is in the news – and rightly so, if you ask me.
Every time I visit my mother in Georgetown, I drive past the despoiled site of the Collins-Yenawine house. The structure’s sad destruction at the hands of an arsonist in what remains a ludicrously “unsolved” case vibrantly illustrates an entrenched attitude of destructive and oft times condescending Philistinism toward our area’s past.*
It’s just my opinion, and no one’s put me up to saying it aloud – but this sort of “Groundhog Day” cultural amnesia in Floyd Couty should be addressed just as vigorously as racism, sexism and other manifestations of violence against people, especially when it occurs among elected officials, whom we ostensibly trust to discern higher community bars than that typically defining those who are in it for the money alone.
If you are inferring from these words that I believe the overall stance of certain local public officials in the matter of the North Annex to have been one analogous to Philistinism, then you are quite correct.
Numerous red herrings are being tossed liberally in all directions, among them the fraudulent charge that preservationists care more about buildings than kids (the Youth Shelter might plausibly ask why it has taken this long for government attention to be paid to its efforts), and my own personal favorite, the bromide most often deployed by used car salesman, who assure you that demolition offers “absolutely the best deal in town.”
Perhaps. It also might be the case that on a corridor blighted by Wal-Mart, we’re missing another prime example of the high cost of low price.
Following are excerpts from three recent Tribune articles, all written by Chris Morris, that tell the story of an effort to raise consciousness about the North Annex.
—-
Retired teacher hopes to save North Annex
Vic Megenity remembers how the old Floyd County courthouse and post office were torn down to make room for new structures he called unsightly.
He doesn’t want to see the same thing happen to the North Annex along Grant Line Road.
Group makes pitch to save North Annex along Grant Line Road
Larry McAllister had heard enough. As a group of local historians and representatives from the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana discussed ways to save the old North Annex, home of the Floyd County Youth Shelter, McAllister quickly interrupted.
“I’m not here to make any enemies, but this is so frustrating,” said McAllister, Floyd County Council president. “It’s like all of a sudden this is being brought up. I’ve been at this four years … I hope you understand how I feel.”
With that, McAllister left the Tuesday meeting at the North Annex, which had been organized by retired educator Vic Megenity, vice president of the Floyd County Historical Society.
Floyd County leaders asked their opinion on saving North Annex
The youth shelter has been housed at the North Annex, 3005 Grant Line Road in New Albany, since 1982. However, the building was constructed in 1878 and wings were added to the structure in 1939.
The Floyd County Commissioners, along with the County Council, approved a plan last year to build a new youth shelter on the same land and tear down the North Annex once construction is completed.
However, questions have been raised in recent weeks about the history of the North Annex, which is the only historical building left along Grant Line Road, according to Vic Megenity, vice president of the Floyd County Historical Society.
—-
Readers may debate the merits of the case at their leisure, but there is one point that should be made clearly and loudly.
There is ample documentary evidence that local historical preservationists were seeking to make their opinions on the future of the Annex known through letters to Floyd County Council members and Commissioners as early as August, 2004, and into May, 2005.
You will note that the vote on the North Annex’s future occurred last year, which if memory serves, was 2007.
Do the math, Mr. McAllister. Neither has this issue come up at the last minute, nor was its mention restricted to personal communications.
A better question: Why weren’t you paying attention when it did arise?
—
* Props to First Harrison Bank, which proposes to reconstruct the some semblance of the house as part of ongoing development at the site.
