By SAMANTHA COSSICK
CHAMBERSBURG PA

Volunteers and officials with Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County have literally hit a brick wall at their rehab project on 402 E. Washington St.

The brick was discovered after they removed the first layer of asbestos siding and another wooden layer of siding, said Mark Story, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County.

"With volunteers, we started doing rehab work and that's when we literally hit a brick wall," he said. "Our plan was to insulate in the void."

The void -- a three to four inch gap between the outside and inside walls -- is currently filled with brick and mortar in no logical pattern, Story said.

They had hoped to run electrical lines through the void and fill it with insulation, but the brick causes them to reassess the project, he said. Habitat is working with specialists to determine the structural integrity of the house and develop plans to move forward or not, Story said.

"Specifically, we want to know if rehabbing this home is cost effect," he said. "What the community perceives as a lack of progress, we've been working diligently behind the scenes to make sure it's safe and cost effective."

As of right now, there seems to be no apparent need or usage for the brick and mortar, Story said.

Story has spoken with some older residents in Franklin County to see if they knew anything about it and so far only one has said they've seen it before in a barn.

Habitat hopes to have input from the specialists within the next two weeks and then will either move forward or meet with borough officials to decide what to do, he said.

In addition to the brick, other structural issues, such as rotting beams, have been discovered and will need to be addressed, Story said.

The house was originally being rehabbed for a family in the "Habitat Partner Family" program, which chooses a local family based on income, need for housing, ability to make payments and commitment to working on the house with Habitat.

"We bought this house because we had a family that wanted to live right here," Story said. "We've begun to explore other options so that they're not held hostage by this house."

Habitat had hoped to get the family in by December since they are currently living with other relatives, he said.

One of their options includes their next rehab project for a previously foreclosed house they were going to work on after this house, Story said.

That project, which is in the same neighborhood as the rehab project they did at 528 S. Main St., will possibly be moved to the forefront so the family can move in, he said.

Samantha Cossick can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 262-4762.