Homeowners cringe in Montgomery and elsewhere when a nearby house suddenly has its windows and doors boarded up with plywood.
It is an indication that the house has been condemned.
That's what's happened this week to a 120 year old Garden District home at 398 Felder Street, at the intersection with Norman Bridge Road.
Work had been underway on the two story single family home---off and on by various owners--- for more than a decade. But the plywood only showed up on the doors and windows in recent days.
There's also a yellow condemnation notice.
The house is in the Historic Garden District, which limits what the owners can and can not do with the property.
There's a historic plaque dating the house to 1900, and calling it The Baldwin House. It is on a large piece of property, 36050sq ft.
I was told a story about the house years ago, indicating that a man had built it for his daughters, though he feared they would not be safe because the building was so far away from the city! Whomever told me that story may have confused it with the Four sisters homes, also in the Garden District, built by Dr. W.O. Baldwin.
The Felder Avenue property is now owned by a South Florida man, Sam Sewell, who tells me he has a construction loan and hopes to have the house restored by Thanksgiving, less than six months from now.
Until recently, the house was only barely visible from Norman Bridge because of tree and weed growth. The city posted a notice on the property earlier in last month, ordering the owner to clear the overgrowth.
On Tuesday, June 2nd, a crew used a bulldozer to remedy that problem by pulling up everything growing on the property line along Felder Avenue and Norman Bridge Road.
Owner Sewell says the grading work will take care of another problem with the old house...a basement that flooded.
The house is right at the entryway to the Historic Garden District Neighborhood.
It is an indication that the house has been condemned.
That's what's happened this week to a 120 year old Garden District home at 398 Felder Street, at the intersection with Norman Bridge Road.
Work had been underway on the two story single family home---off and on by various owners--- for more than a decade. But the plywood only showed up on the doors and windows in recent days.
There's also a yellow condemnation notice.
The house is in the Historic Garden District, which limits what the owners can and can not do with the property.
There's a historic plaque dating the house to 1900, and calling it The Baldwin House. It is on a large piece of property, 36050sq ft.
The Felder Avenue property is now owned by a South Florida man, Sam Sewell, who tells me he has a construction loan and hopes to have the house restored by Thanksgiving, less than six months from now.
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| (photo contributed) |
Owner Sewell says the grading work will take care of another problem with the old house...a basement that flooded.
The house is right at the entryway to the Historic Garden District Neighborhood.
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