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A week ago we broke the news about the City Council’s plan to demolish the Eusey family home at the corner of Regent and South Streets. The family initially hesitated but on Monday gave the City Council the green light. And so the news tonight is that a small part of Belize’s colonial history is gone because today the City Council demolished the rear portion of the house. The City Council says it was on the verge of collapse and today only we were there when it crumbled.

Keith Swift Reporting,
The dismantling started in the attic and quickly moved to the bathroom area where the basin which was on the verge of collapsing onto the street – was safely removed. Next is when it got interesting. The plan was simple enough: they tied one end of this rope to the house – and the other to this dump truck. The truck was supposed to pull down the building but on the first try – it failed.

They tried again – this time with a chain – and eventually it worked. And then as easy as that – in just a matter of minutes - a part of Belize’s colonial history came crashing down.

Edwin Eusey, Resident
“I am not really sad about it or anything. That wasn’t part of the house. That was just an addition that was there. So by taking that down, it is just going to be the original house that was there. That was just a piece that they put on.”

Edwin Eusey – who grew up in the house says the annex needed to go.

Edwin Eusey,
“From the beginning I said it would have been a good idea for them to take down the rotten piece from up there. It needed to be taken down. I couldn’t have done it myself. It is a lot of work and they needed more than one guy.”

And now Edwin Eusey who lives in the house with his common-law wife and 5 kids says that he now needs somewhere to stay.

Edwin Eusey,
“It is a little inconvenient for me because nobody came and said how could we help you guys in some kind of way. They came like I owed them rent or something and they are putting me out because they needed to get work done. That is how they came but it is alright like I said. I wanted to move and I am still going to move. This is giving me another reason to find somewhere else to stay. It is a little inconvenient, I can’t work how I want to and move around. I don’t know but I am alright.”

The work will continue. The City Council says the Eusey family will also need to either repair the main structure or similarly dismantle. The Eusey family home has been standing at the corner of South and Regent Streets for at least a century.