Demolition under way at Duke Street house in Beaufort

After several years of fighting to demolish a decaying building in Beaufort's downtown historic district, attorney Jim Moss has been granted permission by the city and is moving fast.

The Historic District Review Board approved Moss' request Jan. 25.

Work to tear down the house at 1411 Duke St., started Wednesday, and it is expected to be finished early next week.

Not all of the house will be destroyed. Some of the wood and its tin roof are going to the soon-to-open Buck Bass and Beyond in Beaufort Town Center, according to B.J. Adams and Jim Moss Jr., who are performing the demolition. The tin will be used in the store's indoor archery range, Moss Jr. said.

Adams said most of the scrap metal already has been removed by scavengers. A man was seen riding away Thursday with an old air conditioner strapped to his bike.

Historic preservationists opposed Moss' first request for demolition in 2010. However, after further inspection last month Maxine Lutz, interim director of the Historic Beaufort Foundation, said her organization would no longer oppose it because the house lacked historical significance.

Moss bought the house in 2007 for $206,000 as part of a group called Beaufort Six. He plans to build several two-story buildings, with commercial space on the first floors and apartments on the second floors.

In other changes about town:

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Demolition under way at Duke Street house in Beaufort