We’ve booked our next salvage project.
We got the call from Austin Bank when we were working on our previous salvage job in Jacksonville. Our contact there asked us for a bid to demolish two houses previously owned by Lon Morris College.
He explained that demolition of the two houses will make the land more marketable as commercial property.
Like a bad soap opera, how the property ownership changed hands is a sad story about the demise of an historic higher education institution. If you’re interested in the details, I included a brief synopsis at the bottom of this post.
The two houses were once used as student housing.
The first was called Pecan Cottage.
The lot is a little overgrown but the house is in relatively good shape.
The interior is a little odd because it was used as student housing — there’s a lot of chopped up rooms and walls in strange locations.
The house is quite large.
It’s sad that this old place is coming down.
We’ll also be salvaging the little garage that’s on the edge of the lot.
The second house was once known as Pin Oak Cottage.
It’s a little newer construction than the first house. We know this because the walls are not solid wood.
This house has a small shed next to it that we’ll also dismantle.
This house is worse shape.
The back of the property is about an inch above the ground, so there’s probably moisture damage to the foundation and finished floors. The floors did feel spongy, so that’s what we expect to find.
We’re meeting with the owner this week to talk about scheduling. The anticipated project start date is this Fall.
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I PROMISED: THE BRIEF HISTORY OF LON MORRIS COLLEGE
Oh, here’s the brief history on Lon Morris College’s demise that I promised. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the College had recurring financial and accreditation trouble.
Here’s the timeline starting in mid 2012:
In May 2012, almost all employees received furlough notices, and the College President resigned.
On July 2, 2012, the College filed for bankruptcy.
Then, on August 24, 2012 in a news release, the College suspended operations after the College and its students were denied access to student aid by the Department of Education (because of the bankruptcy).
In October 2012, the Attorney General’s office launched an investigation against the College’s former president, seeking explanations why $1.3 million in endowment funds was missing.
In November 2012, a bankruptcy judge gave the College permission to hire an auctioneer and sell its property.
On January 14, 2013, most of the College’s property was sold.
In February 2013, the Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against former Lon Morris College President Dr. Miles McCall, claiming lack of fiduciary responsibility.
This local news story explains what’s happening with the former college now.
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Until next time!
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I read and appreciate every comment. Thank you for letting me know what you think!
Did not realize that Lon Morris had been shut down.
Makes me sad that this happened.
Yes, me too. I didn’t really know all the details until I started researching the post. It’s very sad.
While like you I’m sad to see old buildings go, I admire them for calling you to do the demo! The next best thing to keeping them is salvaging the materials. They will live on in your other projects instead of rotting in yet another landfill
Yep! I totally agree. 🙂
Lon Morris College has a special place in my heart. My husband and I met there back in the early 80’s and loved going to school there. As you can imagine, we were deeply saddened by the recent events that have plagued LMC. When we are in Jacksonville, I always hit some of the antique spots looking for LMC items. I am thankful that someone is asking you to salvage the 2 houses. Those were not part of the campus when I attended, but I don’t want to see them torn down to rot in a landfill. Even though they weren’t part of the campus when I was there, I would love to be able to buy a salvaged piece just so I can have another part of LMC. As there will never be another LMC…and those of us who attended the school are very loyal Bearcats!
Lisa, your story touches my heart. I will definitely let you know when we start our project and have items available.
Kim, thank you so much! I can’t wait to start seeing the pictures of the LMC salavage project.