Forsyth votes to demolish “spaceship” house
Several building demolition projects will be underway in Forsyth County soon — including that of one well-known and troubled property — after approval by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners this week.
The board approved a bid from Newman Smith Contracting LLC for $75,560 to tear down the Barker House on Barker Road, as well as three structures in the 2000 block of Antioch Road. Slightly more than $63,000 will be transferred from the General Fund Contingency for Barker House. The board also voted to award asbestos abatement on the projects to Hibernia Enterprises Inc for $21,790.
The county-owned Barker property with its “spaceship” appearance atop Sawnee Mountain was designed in the 60s by architect Jim Barker for his family. Commissioners voted last year to give the home’s original owners time to find a solution for the vacant and deteriorating property, which had become the target of vandalism and break-ins in recent years. Nothing came of the reprieve, however.
