Sibling Rivalry

When you own a unique old house, you sometimes get a little obsessive.  In our case, we always wanted to know if the others like it in the city were still standing.  There was one we watched for years off of lower Niagara near the thruway ramp.  It was sad to see it decay further and further until finally it was demolished.  There are now no other houses like ours in the city.   But that doesn't mean I'm not still  looking out for the other old brick men (I don't consider my house a lady as he is not Victorian).    The last house I am showing at the end of this posting is on Amherst St, not far from Wegmans.  I hope that it's in good condition inside and that there is a way to get it designated if it still is intact.

This first house is no longer intact and it's sad.  This one sits on W. Delavan at the corner on Niagara.  It's been added on to.  It's now part of a used car dealership.  This house was probably built around the same time as the Dayton House got his Italianate update.  The round segmental window arches give that clue.

This is a picture of that structure from the front.  The facade has been completely obliterated.  A preservationists nightmare!

 This is a side view of an old brick building on W. Ferry near Grant.  This house was converted to offices but still appears to be part residential. It is a double too.  This building could not get historic designation on account of the windows.  It is also not as old as the Dayton House.

Here is a front view of this house.  I think the McDonald's sign distracts from it (and people think the decrepit house next to ours is a killer!).



I've picked these buildings as comparisons because they are masonry construction.  That is different than a brick veneer over a wood frame.  Most "brick" houses in the city are not full masonry construction. That is a lost form of building that will never be revived because it is so costly.  However, it makes for a house that is far more durable than a wood/clapboard counter-part.  This is part of the reason the Dayton House has survived for so long.

I am also going to say that I am not a fan of people who look to these houses -- or at houses like the Dayton House with a mind to find "Comparables" from an appraisal standpoint.  As a person who works in the mass appraisal industry, getting the true value of an old home is a tricky proposition and the attention paid to comps as the result of HGTV shows and get-rich-quick self-proclaimed moguls is the enemy of historic preservation.  It doesn't do these homes justice and it certainly won't help them survive into the future.

We are pulling for the house on Amherst -- we are kindred spirits.  Old brick men who don't want to go over to the dark side and become investment or commercial properties.  If anyone knows the people who own the house on Amherst, please speak up!  It's on our radar....