The All State

Media Credit: Patrick Armstrong The Foust House was placed on the registry of historic places July 7, 1998 because of its architectural style. The house was purchased by APSU from the Foust family in 1996. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Patrick Armstrong A dead animal lies amongst the trash underneath the basement stairs. According to Mitch robinson, vandals are responsible for the amounts of rash within the buidling. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Patrick Armstrong In 2001, Leatherwood Inc. issued a report about the Foust House for APSU. When they arrived, the roof hatch was off and was letting rain in and contributing to moisture damage. A $40,000 grant was received in 1999 to repair the damaged roof. [Click to enlarge]

In March 2009 the Foust House, a vacant building between Hand Village and the Baptist Collegiate ministries building, will no longer be protected by a covenant which has prevented its demolition for nearly 10 years.

The house, built in the late 1800s, was placed on the national registry of historic buildings in 1988.

According to Mitch Robinson, vice president of finance and administration, the university plans to demolish the site once the covenant ends.

"While we would like to restore the history and significance of the house," Robinson said, "it would be a financial challenge."

According to the President's Cabinet minutes from Oct. 9, 2001, it was found that the cost to renovate the Foust House was, "prohibitive," and requested permission from the Tennessee Historical Commissions to remove the building.

In September of 2001, both Austin Peay State University and the Tennessee Board of Regents petitioned the THC to remove the building from the historic registry.

Both requests were denied based on the covenant and the house's historic significance, which is in its architectural design.

According to Robinson, the estimated cost of $1.2 to $1.5 million to renovate was the chief current reason to demolish the house.

In a letter obtained from the THC courtesy of Brian Beadles, preservationist, TBR and former APSU President Sherry Hoppe emphasized the deteriorating structure, vandalism, the need to make room for the place of Hand Village and presence of both lead paint and asbestos as reasons to demolish the building.

"Anytime we renovate some of our old buildings, we're required to [remove asbestos]. It's not inexpensive," Robinson said.

A decision was made to renovate the Foust House, according to Robinson, early in APSU's 1996 purchase of the property.

This is confirmed by a $40,000 grant received in 1999 from THC to repair the building's roof, repair the gutters, haul off trash and repair the siding of the house. Of those things, only the roof has been repaired.

Even though this was done, it apparently was not done well according to a report by Leatherwood, Inc., which stated, "Although the roofing was well-installed and the decaying rafters repaired, there still exists a fungus growth which is damaging the rafters and ceiling joists … Note the light hole in the edge of the roof. This will let in water and animals which can damage the structure further."

According to a letter written by Hoppe, "Funding only allowed replacement of roof shingles: neither the siding nor the masonry work was funded."

The report is comprised of photographs of the house and accompanying conclusions.

The report was conducted at the request of the THC after APSU petitioned the Foust House be removed from the registry according to the letter attached to the report.

In order to receive the grant, APSU had to sign a 10-year covenant with the THC that held they would "assume the cost of the continued maintenance and repair," of the Foust House in order to protect, "the architectural, historical or archeological integrity."

In October 2001, Hoppe received a letter from Louis Jackson, a historic preservation specialist from the THC, stating that he had inspected the property and had noticed the deteriorating structure.

Jackson cited APSU's responsibility to maintain the property and that, "This has not been done, and of particular notice is that the gutters are clogged causing water damage and have trees growing out of them. If not resolved the structure will continue to deteriorate."

According to Manny Ballen, acting director of the physical plant, "Anything to do with the structure is too dangerous to do." This includes cleaning the gutters.

"The building is not only unsafe for students, but also staff and faculty," Robinson said.

"There are not any plans for that space once the Foust House is demolished," Robinson said, "Potential uses of space could include green space, housing, or even a parking consideration at some point."

"The question is and continues to be: is it worth the university spending $2 million dollars to restore the house to it's original condition or to address some of campus' other needs," Robinson said.

Everyone who was present during the President's Cabinet meetings in 2001 who was asked for comment declined, including Bruce Speck, provost and vice president of academic affairs.

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