The Knox County Land Bank has sold an historic house at 306 E. Burgess St. in Mount Vernon, Vice President Sam Filkins told the Mount Vernon News.
The home, built before 1900, was sold to the owner of a local construction company owner Aaron Hemry of Hemry Construction, Filkins said
“He’s going to renovate the property,” Filkins said. “We’re saving another rooftop in the town. It’s great.”
After renovating the home, the construction company owner will put it on the market for sale, Filkins said.
“It will be a great home for somebody, another neighbor in that area,” he said.
The home needs a lot of work, said Filkins.
“There’s no bathroom, no kitchen to speak of,” he said. “Everything was all ripped out. It will need a lot of upgrading. Aaron has a great plan for what he wants to do with that.”
The project will keep the company's construction workers employed during the slower winter months, Filkins said.
The joists in the basement have bark on them, Filkins said.
“It doesn’t look like the original house had any running plumbing or kitchen when it was first built,” he said. “It’s going to be a beautiful house.”
The Land Bank board of directors is scheduled to hold its monthly meeting Friday at 1:30 pm.
The Land Bank's mission is to "strengthen neighborhoods and preserve property values through a transparent and fair process," it said on its website. "We do this by turning vacant, tax-delinquent and other properties into assets that enhance the quality of life and economy in Knox County by creating green space, community property and safe, clean and affordable housing."