Police continue investigation regarding vandalized house
The house at the corner of Lupfer Avenue and Second Street before it was torn down in September. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish Police continue to investigate vandalism to a historic home on Lupfer Avenue that has since been demolished.
Assistant Police Chief Bridger Kelch said the investigation is ongoing regarding damage to the house that was located at the corner of Luper and Second Street.
“We’re following up on any leads or any other information we have, but at this point it’s pretty stale,” Kelch said last week.
Developer Mark Panissidi last month said he had planned to move the building to another location rather than tear it down, but vandalism to the home in the form of cut floor joists made it unsafe to relocate.
Panissidi notified City Council of the issue on Sept. 16 and the home was demolished later that week, though some parts of it were salvaged.
Del Mar Pacific Group, headed up by Panissidi, received approval in June to construct a mixed-use building containing residential and commercial units on the site.
The project drew criticism from neighbors who said the new building wouldn’t fit in with the neighborhood and also those who didn’t want to see the historic home lost.
The house was originally the home of Jemima Duncan and J.A. Samson, who constructed the brick Duncan Samson building in 1910 that is located across Lupfer from the property.