I was excited to read about Taunton’s new book, Where We Lived, which will feature 400 photos from the Historic American Building Survey. The book, due out in November, will focus on houses from 1790 to 1840.
That period is exactly the time frame I’m most interested in; to date I’ve already saved on CD every New York State and Ohio example from the HABS website (search at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/hhquery.html ).
The HABS collection is a tremendous resource, and I’m happy to see it being made more accessible to the public. I’ve found the website to be a little difficult to search (construction date or style type don’t seem to be searchable parameters — geographical location is apparently the only consistent category).
Where We Lived is the first of 10 planned titles that will be published under co-sponsorship by the National Trust and Taunton Press. I’m looking forward to adding each one to my library!
Allen
Replies
Cool! Thanks for the alert!
Kate, what's great about the HABS collection is that many of the photos were taken in the 1930s. So, most of the early examples are in near original condition, in terms of materials. Of course a century or more is plenty of time for a lot of alterations (12-over-12s replaced with 2-over-2s, the "Greeking" or "Italianating" of Federal houses, etc.). Or just plain ravages of time, neglect or abuse:
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Allen
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You thinking about trying it?:o)
A bird does not sing because it has an answer. A bird sings because it has a song.
UUggh
Like I said when I first drove up to this shack
"That don't scare me"
Worst words were never uttered.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
ya, o what tangled webs we weave.
be fearing the future. It will never be done.
that friggin' seeyou invented old houses
A bird does not sing because it has an answer. A bird sings because it has a song.
Here, they call that a $500,000 fixer upper. About six years ago there was an old barn along side the highway, in the south bay, with a sign saying $250,000 fixer upper. As it turned out, if you could have bought it then for $250,000 you probably couldn't touch it today for less than $750,000. It was a good deal but who would have thunk it?
It's a different world here. It's very common in the rural areas to see structurally sound and beautiful early 19th century homes sitting empty and deglected. Often the owners are living in a mobile home parked nearby -- usually in the front yard!.
In the short time since I bought my current house, at least five nearby 1840s farm homes have been raized or burned down as an exercise by the local volunteer firemen.
In the cities, they can't seem to knock down the houses fast enough. The Buffalo mayor cited proudly the thousands of homes that were demolished during his administration. As if the "crack houses," as they'd become, were resposible for the drug and crime problems!
Allen
I can see living in the trailer for the period of time it takes to remodel the 1840's house to current standards but not much longer then that. It just doesn't make sense to live in a trailer while a structurally sound house sits right beside it needing only some upgrading and upkeep. Once the remodel is done, get rid of the trailer or burn it to the ground but live in it long term...no way.
It's a matter of economics and ignorance. These great old places have usually been in families for a few generations, but the current generation is apparently overwhelmed by the amount of work and money needed for maintenance. And they simply have no appreciation for the beautiful architecture and fine carpentry/masonry.
Or the kids move away and the folks are too old and too poor to keep up the house.
So they put a "maintenance free" trailer in the yard and let the homestead decay.
Allen
About 25 years ago, I saw a lot of those around Salem, New York, up by the Vermont border. Every one made my hammer ache.Just in the nick of time, some litrary folks from New York came along & saved some of them. Jon Katz, who wrote the Dogs of Bedlam Farm, was one of them. Bedlam Corners was just a couple of miles up the road.