2 of the 3 houses that burned

[Lynds]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzwS911iDPE

the cleanup

[northside lurker]

Last house, and as I just said, the one I would like to have restored.  But, it is smack dab in the way of future development.



















Hope you enjoyed.  If you have a dial-up connection, I'm sincerely sorry.

[northside lurker]

This is my second favorite of the houses I toured that day:











Cool pantry between the dining room and kitchen:






I actually like the details of this house best, but the next house seemed most within my reach. (needed less work)

[northside lurker]

Next house:










I like the original cabinets:


Someone already took the ballusters and woodwork in this house.

[northside lurker]

Next house:

[northside lurker]

I'm going to post the houses in separate posts.  Also, I'm only going to post the highlights.

First house:

[northside lurker]

Allan,
I know of the house you're talking about.  Do you know what kind of condition is it in?

I'll reply in a little while with the Pennsylvania house tours.

[AllanY2525]

Westsider,

I'd love to see them... even if they are going to be demo'ed... I just love the
old architectural features and designs...

I think I'm going to be doing some more work on the "Lost treasures" part
of my website... with so many of these large, beautiful homes going the
way of the dinosaurs, I think it's important to document their existence.

They speak to us about a time long gone, and a whole different way of
living that no longer exists.  They also tell a story about society in
those days, etc..

I cried a little (on the inside) when this house on Illinois Avenue
was torched a couple summers ago when that maniac was burrning
down houses all over town (especially on the North Side).

This house had architectural features and a floor plan that were
unbelievable... it made me wish I could travel back in time to see
it when it was new, and lived in, and well loved by the family that
built it....

This (former) house has a twin sister just a few doors down, almost
identical in every way.  The sister house has been vacant for some
time now (maybe within the past year?) and boarded up... wish I
had the money to save it before it suffers a similar fate.  I think it's
split up into apartments on the inside, but not sure.

[northside lurker]

If anyone is interested, I'll post pictures of the other houses I toured on Pennsylvania Ave. on that day.  But, considering they will be demolished, (if they don't burn first) they might be hard to look at.

[AllanY2525]

I read a recent article about the home de-constructors in town... saw them
taking apart a house at the bottom of Illinois Ave... they got the bricks, the
hardwood from the floors, etc...

I've been thinking about doing the same thing, via Salvage Rights agreements,
as I wanted to re-do the hardwood floors at the house on Woodbine, but just
too expensive to do it with new oak.

The floorboards from these old North Side houses could be carefully removed,
de-nailed, then run through a planing mill and shaved a lil' (1/16th inch or so)
and installed in the house, all ready to finish sand and then varnish.

I know a guy that did this with a beautiful old farm house in Northern VA
and the end result looked fantastic, and authentic for the age of the house.

[DefendYoungstown]

Lyns:

Good intention but I don't feel a press conference is the answer at this point. It's like a ward town hall meeting whenever there's a high instance of crime in a given area, etc. It's reactionary. What is needed is a neighborhood group that meets regularly, discusses such issues and proactively works on them and recruits others to join the cause. That's the sustainable solution and this recent rash of arsons should be our agitation to do so.

Regarding Wick Park, there is a group that meets monthly titled Resettle Youngstown (www.resettleyoungstown.org). It's the closest thing that Wick Park has as far as a neighborhood group goes. They are going to be looking to increase capacity beginning with next month's meeting.

The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 23rd 6pm @ 1st Unitarian Church on Elm St. I encourage all interested parties to attend so we can get to the business of getting organized.

[rusty river]

I would really really love to get permission to enter and photograph the
remaining mansions around Wick Park that are or were?) owned by the
notorious Mr. Van Sickle...

That could probably be arranged. Email me

steve.m.novotny@gmail.com

[rusty river]

I toured 2 of the 3 houses that burned last night, last summer.

These pictures make me sick. There was still PLENTY of value left in these homes. Even with some of the historical surface items taken from them, all the flooring and joists could have been saved. This wood is old growth, stronger and straighter than anything you could ever find at Lowe's or even many building material wholesalers. The lumber in this homes is literally a SCARCE COMODITY, and many regions of the country pay handsomely for it. At the very least, the wood from these three homes could have been mulched and sold to landscaping companies or as bio-diesel for at least a $1,000 profit or more.

[rusty river]

Lynds, the vacant houses on Pennsylvania would have been demolished before the end of the year. The problem isn't being ignored.

[Lynds]

my landlord contacted me yesterday about putting together some type of press conference between home owners, renters and students to address the problem and safety issue of having these homes sit vacant and eventually burn within such close proximity to student / neighborhood housing.
let me know if your interested in being there.