By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
The Salisbury Historic Preservation Commission will hear a committee report Thursday on the Blackmer House at 112 S. Fulton St.
Last October, Jonathan Blackmer asked the commission’s approval to tear down the historic house, which dates to 1821 and was once the home of noted actors Sidney and Suzanne Blackmer, now deceased.
A 1984 fire caused significant damage to the house, and it has been vacant for about two decades.
The commission approved a certificate of appropriateness for Blackmer’s request, but it also delayed demolition for 365 days, the maximum period allowed under statutory guidelines.
The grace period is designed to give the commission and community time to explore all options in possibly saving the house. Jonathan Blackmer gained an ownership interest in the property in 1999 and inherited the entire property after his mother’s death in 2004.
Since the fire, Historic Salisbury Foundation has paid for repairs several times to parts of the house.
The commission meets at 5:15 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 217 S. Main St.
In other agenda items Thursday, the commission will consider the following requests for certificates of appropriateness:
– Rowan Investment Co. Inc. has asked to install a double folding security gate at 405-407 N. Lee St. to protect a storefront.
– At 409-414 N. Lee St., Rowan Investment Co. Inc. has asked to install gooseneck lights, awnings over each set of doors, a wall-mounted security light under each awning, a new storefront on the south end and a double folding security gate.
– At 415 N. Lee St., Rowan Investment Co. Inc. seeks to install gooseneck lighting, an additional awning and security lights under each awning.
All the North Lee Street properties are in the developing Railwalk area.
– Andrew and Kristen Hodges, of 700 S. Fulton St., seek to erect a 6-foot-tall wooden fence in the rear yard and install a curved driveway in front to improve safety and convenience.
– Kenneth and Anne R. Bost, of 314 W. Thomas St., want to replace Masonite siding and wood trim on their house with “New Hardi” siding and trim. They also seek to scrape and paint a front dormer and replace and repair rotting wood.