One of the older buildings in East Cobb stands no more. A home more than 100 years old and located at 4658 Lower Roswell Road, at Woodlawn Drive, has been demolished by Cobb County government, which has had plans for several years to rework the intersection.
The demolition of the home and two smaller structures behind it took place following an expedited decision granted by Cobb commissioners on April 30 to County Manager Rob Hosack, at a cost of $18,625.
A low bid for the demolition work was awarded to Tucker Grading & Hauling, with the funds coming from the 2011 Cobb SPLOST account, according to a memo to Hosack from Cobb DOT Director Erica Parish and dated Tuesday.
The demolition was necessary, according to the memo, because the properties were in poor condition and trespassing had been taking place there.
On Tuesday, commissioners “ratified” the decision to tear down the buildings by a 4-0 vote. Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb was absent. The memo was included as an agenda item.
The home had been vacant since Jan. 2018, when the homeowner, Wilce Frasier Jr., died at the age of 93. According to deed records with the Cobb County Superior Court Clerk’s office, Frasier had lived in the home since the early 1960s.
A family member, Lisa Frasier McCalvin, said the home dates from the late 1800s: “Wilce grew up in this house with his brothers and sisters . . . . it never left our family . . . . the memories I have of playing in that house are some of my fondest from my childhood.”
Wilce Frasier’s obituary noted that he was a Navy veteran during World War II and worked at Lockheed-Georgia for 30 years, and that he is buried at the Mt. Bethel church cemetery just around the corner on Johnson Ferry Road.
(After we posted this story, a reader passed along a link to a slideshow remembrance of Frasier.)
His heirs had been in negotiations with Cobb DOT regarding right-of-way for the intersection improvements. The 0.9 acres owned by Frasier, put up for sale over the winter, has been sold. It had been marketed for possible commercial use.
The intersection project is part of Lower Roswell Road improvements stretching from Woodlawn, across Johnson Ferry Road and to Davidson Road and is part of the 2011 SPLOST.
A contract for the project was approved in 2012 but the county still needs to make more right-of-way acquisitions.
The improvements at Lower Roswell and Woodlawn will include installing a median and additional turn lanes at a clogged intersection.
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“Willy” as we knew him, was a close friend of our neighbor, Dr. Dee. It is a sad day to learn that he passed away. I hope his soul will rest in heaven along with Dr. Dee.
Friends of the family, Ernest Smith – daughters Victoria Smith and Julie Painter.
I love the comment: “The demolition was necessary, according to the memo, because the properties were in poor condition and trespassing had been taking place there.”
Kinda like – “We had to tear it down to save it.”
Oh well, any excuse will do.