When Dennis Biesik lived in the historic Sheldon Jewett mansion in Custer City he was often found doing renovation work that included refinishing woodwork and painting.

Biesik shared his thoughts on the recent demolition of the 132-year-old home that he sold to make way for the imminent construction of a new Dollar General store on the site located at the corner of U.S. Route 219 and West Warren Road. Biesik said that while the home was purchased by Bradford DPP LLC corporation for $275,298, he received $170,000 of that amount.

“I am sure the remainder of the acquisition was for legal expenses, surveys and other costs that the company paid in the course of the purchase,” Biesik speculated.

The former owner noted that when he first moved into the house close to 10 years ago, it was in “kind of rough shape.”

The two-story house was built in 1885 by Jewett who was referred to as a “pioneer resident of McKean County” and founder of Custer City. Jewett also had been a veteran of the Civil War, a member of the famous Pennsylvania Bucktails and had been imprisoned six months in Andersonville prison. In its day, the mansion was considered one of the finest in McKean County.

“I spent thousands of dollars fixing it up, cutting the trees, painting the house, and (refinishing) all of the hardwood floors,” Biesik said. “Over that 10-year period I put in a driveway and a wood coal burner … I really fixed it up.”

As he neared retirement, Biesik had hoped the house could be sold to someone who would use it for a residence or business.

“I know a lot of people are upset that the house was torn down,” Biesik continued. “When I put the home on the market I certainly never expected that someone would buy it to tear it down. I had hoped that a young family would have bought it and enjoyed it as much as I did.”

He said the house had been on the market 10 months and had been reduced in price before an offer was made by Dollar General.

Bob Gage, an official with GBT Realty Corp., representing Dollar General, said the company had tried to find someone to relocate the house to another site, but couldn’t find any takers. The company had even offered to donate a portion of the cost of the demolition toward moving the structure, which was not on the National Register of Historic Places.

Biesik said that prior to the demolition, several structural items in the house were removed.

“We took everything of any value,” he remarked. “The claw-foot tubs, the pedestal sinks, the doors, the mantle, the original hinges” and the upstairs banister.

“They even took the hardwood floors out,” he added. “The house was pretty much gutted before they tore it down.” He said the items removed will be used in another Victorian home.

Sally Costik, curator for Bradford Landmark Society, weighed in on the issue. She said Landmark is a nonprofit, volunteer-run agency and not a watchdog group for historic structures. Instead it functions as a research organization.

“Even if we had stopped (the demolition) what would anybody do with it, because nobody wanted to buy it in the first place,” she pointed out.

Costik said the fact that the house was not on the National Register didn’t help the cause in saving it. Indeed, Costik said she is not certain the house could have been placed on the National Register.

“Either something historic had to happen there, like a treaty signed there or whatever, or it has to be architecturally significant,” she explained. “It’s no more architecturally significant than any of the other mansions on Jackson Avenue or Congress Street.”

Despite this, Costik understands the remorse felt by some in the community for its loss.

“I think the real shame was that no one stepped up to save it,” she concluded.