One of York County’s oldest homes likely to be razed

LAKE WYLIE, S.C. — It's known as the Bigger House, which was named after the family who built it in 1846.

The two-story, brick-based home sits on about five acres set back from Highway 49 near Highway 55.

A family has been renting the home for a dozen years close to the time it was listed for sale.

There is now a buyer who wants the valuable land it sits on.

Joy Sanderson and her husband run a small bakery in Lake Wylie, and she said she is conflicted about the home being bought.

"The house is part of my family,” she said. “York County is a part of my family."

Her grandfather, Richard Bigger, was born in the house. She showed Channel 9 Friday an old, framed newspaper article about how the home was meticulously kept in its original, unique condition.

Sanderson wanted to buy it when it went for sale, but she couldn’t do it.

“It’s depressing that you can’t keep historic homes that are not only a part of my heritage, but York County’s heritage,” she said.

However, she understands the need to sell it and doesn't blame the owners for putting it on the market. The house is not listed on a national register although it was part of a 2016 historic home tour that included the Clover and Lake Wylie communities.

Channel 9 spoke with the agent who sold the home, Jay Rinehart, of Rinehart Realty.

He said the land the house sits on has been zoned for commercial development for at least 12 years.

The property is under contract, but Rinehart said there is no development plan yet related to the property or the house.

Since the house first went on the market more than 12 years ago, a new development has sprung up behind it.

The Tullamore neighborhood sits on Catamount Drive bordering the property.

Residents there hate to see the house go, too, because of its historic value and concerns of what could replace it.

Alma Jewell leads the homeowners’ association in Tullamore.

"I'm concerned over the traffic from those commercial buildings," she said. "We love the home sitting here. We love that it's historical."

It's not clear yet what the buyer plans to do with the property and meanwhile, the sale of the house has not closed.

York County Councilwoman Allison Love said county leaders are working on a small-area zoning plan that could one day save homes like the Bigger House.

The idea is to consider existing structures, such as historic homes when determining allowable uses.

That could mean encouraging a potential buyer to renovate or convert the home into a business rather than tear it down.

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