Fixer Upper or Tear It Downer?

 

I've watched this deteriorate over the years and I wonder....why?  Once upon a time, there were candles in each window; the glow emanating a warm and cozy feeling.  The decorative shingles always admired.  I can hear the carpenter's swing of the hammer on every one.  You know me...I'd like to save everything.  Fix the damage, mow the lawn, plant some geraniums in the whiskey barrel, right?  I used to think that perhaps the right side of the structure could be saved but now the corner is collapsing.  This just makes me sad.

Fix It Upper or Tear It Downer?

I love the light over the front door, the stonewall and the pink blooming flora out front.  Perched high on a hill in the farmland of Connecticut, this house speaks to me.  "Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."  Oliver Wendell Holmes

Fix-it-upper or tear-it-downer?

 My first

Fix it upper or tear it downer? A Nova Scotia lovely.

I like to believe that any old house can be saved but I admit.....my first glimpse of this one led me to think otherwise.  Then I started to look at it through my magical rose colored glasses.  Tear off that front porch and maybe, just maybe.....

Stumbling upon another abandoned old house in New England.

When we're traveling along the back

An adorable abandoned house with "Gingerbread" trim.

 The next time you make a gingerbread house, think

Fixer Upper or Tear It Downer?

While in most states grant money is available for municipalities or non-profits, it's typically not available to the homeowner. That needs to change!  We should be doing everything we can to save spectacular places like this.  The history of American architecture is fascinating.

Fixer Upper or Tear It Downer?

 Don't you just

Abandoned in Vermont - House for Sale

A recent stop at a farm stand in Northwestern Vermont led us to this antique homestead that's for sale.  Located near Alburgh, VT and not far from the Canadian border; it's wonderfully flat property that could be conducive to farming; either animals or crop.  Very scenic and longing to be cared for again. 

 Loads of space in the barn.

 Has a newer attached barn.

 Interested?  Here's the number!

This could be your next project!

Save this old house!

I apologize for not posting in the last several weeks.  All of my attention and energy has been focused on saving this beautiful historic property in New England.  Empty for years, the majority of the structure is solid.  It was built in 1899 as an inn that even Edith Wharton herself stayed at.  Her car broke down and there it was; a beacon on a rainy night.  This wonderful old place with fireplaces in every room deserves another chance.

I am so happy to tell you that at a recent town vote, we were able to save it from demolition!  Yes, there's a lot more work to do in order to repurpose and reuse it, but it's absolutely worth it.  If you are trying to save an historic property in your area, my advice would be, don't give up.  It will be all consuming, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.

I'd like to share a few more abandoned house photos.  We are drawn to them like a moth to the light. 

 This home is on the coast of Maine; a stone's throw from the ocean.

 Look at the molding around this window!  Beautiful craftsmanship.

Situated on a small rise, this home sits among the wildflowers.  Picture it with a couple of rockers on the porch, looking towards the water.

Overlooking a river, we can only imagine the large family that may have lived here at one time.  What a delightful field for children to play in.

We passed this abandoned home while visiting the Adirondacks.  Though it's evident that no one has occupied this home in a very long time, it seems to invite us in.  The loneliness these houses exude is heartbreaking.

How will we know it's us without our past?  

John Steinbeck

Images of an Abandoned House

This lovely antique home has looked like this for as long as I can remember.  The hillside views are beautiful.

Abandoned, adjective:  forsaken or deserted.

An abandoned house has a certain seductive and bewitching quality about it.  Years after the occupants have left their abode, daffodils grow in the front yard.  Curtains hang in the windows; faded, tattered and dusty.