106 year-old business closes due to Flood Wall Project

By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor

A Paintsville business has closed after over 100 years of business because of a floodwall project.

Preston Funeral Home on Main Street is no longer in business after the U.S. Corps of Engineers’ made the announcement of the planned floodwall project.

According to owner Mike Preston, who also lost his State Street residence to the floodwall project, said they were just recently informed of the project.

“We were recently informed about a decision by the Army Corps of Engineers that they are going to take our building, Preston Funeral Home, which has been in business since 1919, and they’re going to tear it down to make a parking lot,” Preston said. “According to federal law, they’re supposed to furnish us another building or something suitable. They apparently haven’t even attempted to find one. So, we are going to take our pre-arrangements and myself, my office, over to  Jones-Preston, and when one of our pre-arrangements dies, I’ll serve the family from over there. I’m not bitter against the Corps, they’re just doing their job,” Preston said. “I just don’t think they handled it correctly. Had they reimbursed us for what we lost here, it would have helped. Had they reimbursed us for our house, what it appraised for, it would have helped, but they didn’t do that. It is what it is.”