On Wednesday
and today
On Wednesday, I had posted photos of the only wood-clad house on Smith Street, which had retained its beautiful cornice and most of the details around its windows. The building was supposedly getting a two-story addition and permits had been filed with the NYC's Department of Buildings. However, no permits for the total demolition of the building have been posted.
What a sad end to this wooden house that has been standing there for more than a hundred years. I am glad I took photos of it earlier this week.
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7 comments:
This is sad. But I think we should direct our anger/disappointment to the previous owner who let the property fall in to such major disrepair. Had it been taken care of, the new owners would likely have been able to add to it instead of tearing it down.
I'm glad you took a photo of it too...All we have left of the old neighborhood is photos and memories ...
Unfortunately, that facade was almost certainly unsalvageable. You can smell the wood rot coming from the worksite as they are doing the demolition. Maybe they we re-create it in some way... highly unlikely, I know.
The permit and the way demo is progressing means the owner will preserve the facade (and likely return the cornice), and will build a larger building (2 stories taller than existing) behind it. The facade is probably landmarked. If they wanted to tear the property down fully, they would have done it with claws from the front and put the entire demolition debris into a container/truck for hauling. This is a good sign. Keep posting new pictures.
Jarod,
I wish I could tap into your optimism. That stretch of Smith Street is not landmarked. A reader reported that as of yesterday, the entire building was gone. Will walk past today to take more photos.
This old house will most likely be replaced by an uninspired five story building with a flat façade and cutouts for air conditioners.
I walked by that house on sunday... and sorry guys, but this is just simple progress. We can't keep all the quaint little old wood houses that exist...
Katia, Blah! I had hope. :(
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