An elderly widow begs to save her home of 55 years before it is demolished to widen a nearby highway.
Janet Arnett, 76, bought the 63-acre property in 1969 and, after decades of living in mobile homes, built the house with her husband, Lowell, in 1998.
Four generations of her family either grew up in or spent large swathes of their childhood at ‘Mamaw’s House’ in Magoffin County, Kentucky.
But decades of memories could be wiped out with plans for an extension to the Mountain Parkway that runs right through the middle of her land.
Janet Arnett, 76, is begging to save her home of 55 years before it is demolished to widen a nearby motorway
Arnett bought the 63-acre property in 1969 and, after decades of living in mobile homes, built the house with her husband in 1998
Arnett with his daughter Lanessa DeMarchis and granddaughter Zoe Parker
“It’s a small house, but to me it’s a mansion,” she shared WYMT through tears.
“I’m 76, I’m not going to be here much longer, why can’t I stay here, in the house, my house?”
Arnett said she was offered money by developers to sell the land to make way for the used road, but said the memories in the house were priceless.
She and her family appealed to local officials to change plans to build around her home, but were told it was not possible.
It was also said that it was not possible to move the house because it would not be possible to build a new septic tank.
Arnett kept the house after her husband Lowell (pictured together) died in 2015 and her family said it was the center of their social life
“Growing up, Mamwa’s house was always this refuge where I could go,” said Arnett’s granddaughter Zoe Parker (left)
Arnett with his great-grandchildren on his property threatened by the freeway
Four of Arnett’s grandchildren, who spent much of their lives on her property
‘If they want to build the road, that’s fine. But just leave me alone. Build it before me; build it behind me. I just want to stay in my house, she said.
Arnett kept the house after her husband died in 2015, and her family said it was the center of their social life.
“Growing up, Mamwa’s house was always this refuge where I could go,” Arnett’s granddaughter Zoe Parker said.
‘We cooked together and this is where I grew up playing in the creek, catching crawdads and lightning.
‘This is the epicenter of our family and Mamaw’s place will always be Mamwa’s house, whether it’s right where it is or down the road – but it’s hard if it’s bulldozed.’
A sign on the wall of Arnett’s home with the nickname the family has called it for decades
Plans for an extension to the Mountain Parkway run right through the middle of her land
Arnett’s daughter Lanessa DeMarchis is campaigning with family, friends and locals to convince state officials to reconsider the freeway route.
‘They are forcing her to move. They want to raze her house to the ground,’ she wrote in a petition.
‘This is the house we raised our children in. This is the house where we hid Easter eggs, celebrated birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
‘This is the house we ALL fled to when life just got too complicated. This is where our kids ran barefoot and grew their own vegetables and caught lightning bugs.
‘This is the house with a porch swing where very meaningful conversations took place.
‘Yes, they “buy” it from her. But she doesn’t care about the money. She wants to live the remaining years in her home.’
Four generations of her family either grew up in or spent large swathes of their childhood in the house