Family living in condemned colonial style house

The owners of one of the oldest colonial buildings in the city are tonight looking for shelter. The Eusey family has lived at their downtown home for generations, but now the building is a safety hazard and at least a part of it has been torn down. News Five Jose Sanchez has this story.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Three adults and five kids live at the Eusey home at the corner of South and Regent Street. The building has been in a terrible state for decades. Jennifer Coleman said the City Council wanted the family to move on Thursday. But since the family had no place to go, only the annex at the back of the building was torn down. Coleman says their future is still uncertain.

Jennifer Coleman, Resident, Eusey Family Home
“Dehn mi wah mek we move but we can’t move right at di fourteenth so we decide fi mek wi stay until dehn mi find somewhere fi put we as dehn mi tell wi but up to yet dehn no find no way fi put wi and wi have to stay in yah while dehn di do dat. So dehn seh dehn wah still tek it down wid we in deh. We noh have no way fi go and we noh think Zenaida wah want put wi inna da big mansion weh ih got wid dah seven bedroom.”

Jose Sanchez
“In whose name is the house actually in?”

Jennifer Coleman
“My father-in-law Edwin Eusey.”

Jose Sanchez
“Has he ever thought about selling the property? It should cost a lot of money.”

Jennifer Coleman
“No, he seh he no wah sell it.”

The Eusey family has been in possession of the building for at least fifty years. They don’t want to sell it because of its rich history as part of Belize’s colonial past. One of the neighbor’s also believes the structure should be restored not destroyed.

Sylvia Waight, Neighbor
“We know this building all our lives. We know that this house is pre 1880. My great grandfather was a friend of the oldest Mr. Euseys, which that Mr. Eusey may have been Eric Eusey’s great grandfather. So my grandfather died in 1880 so this house we know has been here long before a hundred and thirty years now. This house has much historical value. We have a tendency or inclination—I wouldn’t say it’s cultural—but we have a tendency to just destroy, destroy, destroy. This is a part of our history. Not many houses in this country are like this anymore. The shingles, the inside of the house is beautiful colonial architecture. In the days when there was no air conditioning unit, there’s a space between the wall and the ceiling for air flow. Why destroy the house? We don’t want to see the house go. We want to see the house preserved; it’s an antiquity. In fact, there is legislation in place to protect antiquities. Why is that something can’t be done to preserve the house? Why do we want to demolish it? Oh no, we oppose it strongly. The house is large; I believe it has two bedrooms, there’s an interior stairway going up to the second floor. There’s a large kitchen area, large living room area and I believe there are two bedrooms.”

Antiques are scattered in every corner of the house. Furniture including wooden chairs made over a century ago still sit in the living room. Memorabilia from not so long ago that tell of Belize’s rapid development; a magazine with Queen Elizabeth sits on top a table; a Majestic Taxi Service sign with the numbers 44465 show how fast telecommunications has advanced. A careful walk up the abandoned third storey exposes floors rotted with decay. But a rusty and weather beaten lock opens up to grand arches which reveals that this was a house that had all the grandeur of the days the colony was ruled by a British governor.

Whether by the council or by the force of nature, time is running out for the occupants of the building who need a roof over their heads.

Jennifer Coleman
“I dah want di minister of housing to try to assist we to someway or at least help we wid di building as quick as how we could.”

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.