Thursday, July 22, 2010

In Memoriam: 706 Lakeview

Second Empire style house

Back in December, I detailed the cause of this Second Empire style house at 706 Lakeview Road, in the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland. It featured a nice, deep lot, with plenty of space. It was located one house over from the Schellentrager residence, one of the great Victorian houses in this city. Further, it was a small house - it could be rehabbed without the insane effort some larger places might have required.

Second Empire style house

Yesteday, I drove down Lakeview, and saw only an empty lot where once this house had stood.

Second Empire style house

The details, such as these dormers, are now lost forever. I do have a few photographs of it, but these are no substitute for the building itself.



How many more examples of our architectural heritage do we have to lose before we're to take action? We can't simply wait around for others to fix up these houses. There are enough people among us with the skills and the energy to make a difference - what are we waiting for?

2 comments:

  1. I can not speak for everyone else.

    I know I have the skills to restore such a home. What I no longer have is the money or the time.

    I agree that something should be done.

    It takes someone that has a lot of love in their hearts for such a place.

    I learned to love these old places because of my grandmother. She lived in an 1836 Western Reserve Colonial at 112 East Park Street in Chardon.

    She loved that old house, and I learned much from my father who was a carpenters son. It was a family project. I learned to love it for what it was, and learned that enjoying it as it was meant to be lived as a beautiful piece of history. We did not change her.

    I wish I could say that the new owners had that love for her. Alas they do not. While it still stands it has been covered over with new vinyl siding, and the beautiful poured glass windows were thrown out for new vinyl double hung. No love for the magic those windows gave the house.

    I could not drive by it for over a year with out a tear in my eye.

    It takes someone who has a love of history, and respects it. Which is something that is now gone for many of this wasteful world we live in.

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  2. Took a Saturday drive from Solon into the heart of the city, there is so much to be seen! It warms me to see the care that some people put into maintaining these homes, but sadly it seems so difficult to convince people that civic pride is everyone's responsibility.

    Looking forward to reading more, still learning about my newly-adopted home town!

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