Wednesday, July 23, 2008

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot...

More and more vintage and historical homes are being demolished every day so that people can build their McMansions, parking lots, or worse yet~ the dreaded strip mall.

Here is one I just found out about. It is just absolutely sickening. I assume nothing was salvaged, not even those gorgeous stained glass windows.




Can you imagine?! They paid 10 million dollars for the home and then they tore it down. Un-friggin believable!!!


Here is another case~This is a sad story any way you look at it; for the owners, cats, neighbors, and of course the home. Why didn't someone interviene for the owner's well-being if it was so bad? Instead they let him live in filth and then took his home.


I have seen two darling homes dozed in my town within the last few months. One was "zoned commercial" so we know what that means, the other I'm not sure why it was torn down. The "commercial" house was very charming, dating to the 30's I'd say. Just a little stoop at the front door, but there was an arched wooden awning over top. Firefighters had used the home for practice. I knew it wouldn't last long, and I was just thinking I should take some photos. But I was too late. I should go to the courthouse and see if I can get a photo.
The other home was a cute yellow Victorian with a curved wrap around porch. Sadly, no pics of that one either.

Shortly after we moved into our home, I learned that the house caddy-corner to us was slated for demolition. The bank which faced the home's back yard owned the property and they wanted a larger parking lot. Hmpf.

This home had a cute curved porch, a darling round attic window, and a bright red door. Some local contractors I know were able to salvage much architecture from the home, thank goodness. This is not always the case. Too bad it was not the right design for my house! We could've used more window and door trim. I'm just so glad they got it, there were pocket doors too.



Sorry for the quality as these are scans, but they should enlarge if you click on them.




It was cold and snowing they day the house was dozed. I usually love to watch it snow. But that I day I watched a loved one being destoyed as I sat at the bottom of my staircase and looked out my window... and cried.

It's erie how you can look through the front doors that lead to a pile of rubble.


Here is a site to help keep our old houses and buildings alive. Maybe you can save one that's dear to you.

I'm also including this link about eminent domain abuse and your rights.

11 comments:

PAT said...

We hate to see all that bulldozing too, Nikki!!

We think the building on the corner, before you get to the court house, looks like it could have been the original Montgomery County Court House. Do you know?

Pat

Lallee said...

Ugh. That was sickening. I can't believe Connecticut has no historical home protection. I'm sorry there was still family around to have to witness the demolition.

Lallee

Rue said...

You KNOW this makes me sick. I really don't know how to describe the pain in my heart when I see things like this.

I don't know how to navigate the site well enough to save Annie's old school. It doesn't have historical significance.

Hugs,
rue

Justine said...

That is so damn sad. Don't you wish you had the money to just buy them all up and bring them back to their former glory?
Justine :o )

Glennis said...

Wow. I came here following your Pink Saturday link from Beverly, but this post is heartbreaking. I am totally interested in historical preservation. How sad to see those homes go.

Heather said...

I sat here crying as I looked through the pictures of that house (Muskegan house) being torn down. I don't understand why they do this......I am sick to my stomach. I wish I could buy up all of these old houses, bring them back and then fill them with the homeless, battered women and children, etc. .
-Heather :)

La Tea Dah said...

How very sad and such beautiful homes. It must have been very, very difficult to watch one razed in your own neighborhood --- for a parking lot!

I'm sorry. . .

Unknown said...

Hi Nikki,
Great post! I agree with you. I would love to own an old home like that. In the southwest metropolitan areas it is much worse. People are so transient that they never live anywhere longer than 5 or 6 years. And that is part of the problem. People used to leave their homes to family. Now they just sell and move on. Unfortunately the new homes do not have the quality that these lovely old homes had.
It is always a sad day to see one of these master pieces destroyed.
~~Liz~~

{oc cottage} said...

BIG FAT ICK!!!!! :( What a bummer!

M ^..^

Susan said...

Seeing these old homes die is so sad.
I just wanted to stop by and say hi. I found you from a comment on Wonders Never Cease and love your blog. Come by and visit sometime. Thanks, Susan

Life on the Edge said...

It really is sad to see these old houses torn down. The sad part about the Queen Anne house in Muskegon is that apparently people tried to find a way to save that house, but the old coot was never cooperative and let it fill with filth. So sad. The house must have been really beautiful in its hey day. I couldn't get the video to work in that other story, but can't imagine someone tearing down a house like that too.

Kady