45°f/7.2°C this morning, chilly after last night's rain. Clear and sunny all day, low of 39 expected tonight. Brrr. Heat's on, again.
When I went to get my pedicure Tuesday, we were surprised by this sight:
Formerly, this large old building, known as the Macintosh Building or "the old hardware building", stood here.
But now it is gone, reduced to rubble.
No one can argue the fact that the building was in sad shape. It had been empty for years. The roof leaked,and then a few months ago a big truck struck the corner you see covered in plywood, above. The damage was more extensive than you might think, literally knocking that corner off its sandstone foundation. The owner had started restoration, I think, but that was the last blow. Since the building was in the historic district, it probably took approval by the state to get a demo license, but apparently even the state agreed that repair was prohibitively expensive. So down she went.
This is the front, a photo taken before later restoration efforts.
Look at the pediment. I wonder if it at least was saved?
I watched the demolition from the beauty shop, and it hurt, I have to admit, to see beautiful woodwork, old six-panel doors and even a cut stone fireplace fall to the rubble heap. Seemed such a waste! Larry is still talking about the bricks, hundreds of them, all solid bricks and not like today's bricks with holes in the center. These old soft red bricks are ideal for walks, walls, and other projects, but it doesn't look like they will be saved.
Here you can see the fireplace, just to the right and above center. There probably was at least one more, as this was on the second floor, so there undoubtedly was one below it.
And just like that, it was gone.
So much history, so many stories, lost in that pile. Think of all the craftsmen who put it together--the stone masons and bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, plasterers...all working in a time before the convenience of modern tools.
Then there were all the people who shopped here: farmers, riverboat workers, even housewives. In the beginning, there would have been horse harness for draft horses, parts for buggies, butter churns and washboard. As the years passed washing machines and power tools stocked the shelves. The advent of Walmart, Home Depot, and the like probably spelled the end of the old smalltown hardware store.
What will replace the old store? No one seems to know, although a few have said it might be a parking lot. If that's true, it will be sad indeed. And a commentary on our times?
Yes it is sad to see old buildings reduced to rubble, here an old Victorian hotel was demolished a few years ago and an ugly modern structure of flats were built, I suppose its progress.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad sight!!! Very sad. I hope for the pediment!
ReplyDeleteA parking lot.
My diploma was exactly that. A former market hall that now is still a parking lot.
Sad how priorities shift.
...They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
ReplyDeleteWith a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot~Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell
So no explosives? Just pushed the building in and it collapsed?
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to see such grand buildings go, but the problem is fixing them is so expensive. Tearing them down is cheaper. I do hope there will some salvage from the rubble, though.
ReplyDeleteWe have two old mills in town that are being turned into apartments/condos, but two others that are just dilapidating.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how something that took months to build can come down in just a matter of minutes. Probably the right thing to do given the circumstances, let's hope they replace it with something that fits into the town.
ReplyDeleteA very sad story. Hopefully it won't be replaced by a parking lot.
ReplyDeleteWe lost a lovely old stone mill in just this way. Frustrating, as a group of local,people was trying to buy it and restore it. But the owner would not budge, somthe township,demolished it and has charged the owner the cost. Sometimes you just have to wince and wonder.
ReplyDeleteI think it is always disturbing to see a familiar old building fall apart with neglect and then torn down. In terms of Wal Mart we go there once or sometimes twice a month for the convenience of collecting a list of items in one place, but I much prefer the small Amish/Mennonite shops in our area. There are a few 'modern' things we can't get there, but the pace of the community and the friendly courtesy of the shop keepers is a delight.
ReplyDelete