House on Kildare St. (Huntsville: build, weather, agreement)

[Courage007]

Originally Posted by rmmckinley124

I am an architecture student developing a catalog of research about the McCormick House. Would anyone be willing to share your photos and story with me? I am hoping to use all of this information in an effort to bring awareness of this historic home and learn of any organizations that have projects/fundraising to restore/help with up keeping this! It is an amazing piece of history.

I am not looking for gossip or he said/she said. I am looking for personal experiences with driving past/viewing the home. It would be even better to hear from you who have been inside or known owners past or present! Even if you have suggestions/opinions for how this should be open or not open to the public, used for scholars only research, or left as a private property for whoever owns it, please feel free to let me know.

Please email me with any info, comments, or questions at [EMAIL="savekildaremccormickmansion@gmail.com"]savekildaremccormickmansion@gmail.com[/EMAIL].

Thank you so much for your help!

Rachel McKinley

I think that it is a wonderful and quit noble thing that you are doing to protect our history. Great Luck to ya.
P.S. is there a web adds: that we can follow your progress on?

[Courage007]

Originally Posted by gingerloveal

OMG! Now I know she is crazy. I live in the neighborhood and she has followed people to my house and ranting about them blowing a horn or listening to music too loud. She was again ranting about just wanting to be left alone. She screamed she has video of those she has followed to my house claiming they were harassing her. Taking video or pictures of someone without their permission is illegal. That I know for sure. Reading these replies provides me with information to keep my family and myself safe from her. Problem is I have to drive by there every day. I plan to ask the residents in the apts next to her if they have problems with her. She has some serious issues. Everyone keep me posted on what happens to you. I am starting a log to track all this. I am fearful something bad will happen and she'll try to blame someone at my house.

Thats a real good Idea I am not sure what actual consequences it may have but shoot it might make for a good short story or at least great jokes. Is there some way for you or I to trade email as I live in the neighborhood also and just signed into this site to post about my recent encounter a friend found this after I told her what happened. Try to get in touch if you can. Since I was just laid off putting a little time into that might keep me from sitting in my front yard throwing sticks and chasing cars.

[Courage007]

Too few people know who Remo Williams is these days. It saddens the heart of Chuen.

[Courage007]

Originally Posted by SLKattos

It is owned by a local designer. The home was built in the 1880's by Michael O'Shaughnessy, a cottonseed oil entrepreneur. O'Shaughnessy & his brother were instrumental in taking Huntsville from simple cotton growing into textiles.

O'Shaughnessy later sold the property to the trust fund of Mary Virginia McCormick, daughter of Cyrus McCormick (the inventor of the cotton reaper), who used it as a summer residence. This is why the property originally called Kildare is more commonly referred to by local Huntsvillians as the "McCormick Mansion" or "McCormick castle". The acreage was subdivided by subsequent owners, so the legal descriptions for the surrounding homes is "Kildare" subdivision.

It has approximately 17,000 sqft and some of the most spectacular woodwork I have ever seen. One of my company's specialties is representing historic properties, so I have an opportunity to see some gorgeous homes. This one is near the top of the list for craftsmanship, though it needs a lot of renovation.

Thank you very much. That will satiate a lot of hungry minds.

[BMW Dave]

Originally Posted by Courage007

Too few people know who Remo Williams is these days. It saddens the heart of Chuen.

[Aicey]

Originally Posted by Courage007

Thats a real good Idea I am not sure what actual consequences it may have but shoot it might make for a good short story or at least great jokes. Is there some way for you or I to trade email as I live in the neighborhood also and just signed into this site to post about my recent encounter a friend found this after I told her what happened. Try to get in touch if you can. Since I was just laid off putting a little time into that might keep me from sitting in my front yard throwing sticks and chasing cars.

Your last line... HILARIOUS!!!!

[Aicey]

gingerloveal..... I was reading in the other forum about this house and I think I saw it was you who posted that you may know her name?? I believe her first name is Delilah?? Would like to know her last name to see if this is possibly the same crazy I had run ins with when I lived in Huntsville, but my issues were not situated around the house!!

[Spankey21]

So after years of claiming he was going to develop this as a commercial operation, meanwhile allowing a clearly demented Ms Vanlandingham to invite conflict with everyone passing by (as documented here) and after trying to turn it into a fortress with a high prison fence in the city's right of way, that the city disallowed, now in a fit of pique he says he's going to sell it off in pieces!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10152583223559653&id=40307674 652

How can this community allow one of it's historic structures be distroyed by this twit? Maybe this threat is his way of extorting a high purchase price.

[curzon_dax]

I honestly don't know how productive it is to say this, but I had heard rumors that they were already selling off pieces from the interior. WAFF got an interview with Mr. Dwight Wright and this quote jumped out at me:

“That house is worth more in pieces [than] it was or ever would be sitting where it's sitting now,” said Wright."

I can't help but wonder if indeed this was the plan all along. Wonder all I like, however, I can still see his point. I grew up in the heart of rust belt urban decay. Not to trivialize the uniqueness of the Kildare mansion, but I've seen entire neighborhoods of beautiful Queen Anne styled homes completely abandoned and neglected until they crumbled to the ground and were consumed by nature. At some point you have to conclude that they are no longer useful and its best to move on. Unless somebody else wants to take on the burden of ownership of the house, then I don't see why the current owner can't do as they like with it.

[FayettevilletoHuntsville]

Originally Posted by Spankey21

So after years of claiming he was going to develop this as a commercial operation, meanwhile allowing a clearly demented Ms Vanlandingham to invite conflict with everyone passing by (as documented here) and after trying to turn it into a fortress with a high prison fence in the city's right of way, that the city disallowed, now in a fit of pique he says he's going to sell it off in pieces!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10152583223559653&id=40307674 652

How can this community allow one of it's historic structures be distroyed by this twit? Maybe this threat is his way of extorting a high purchase price.

Someone else revitalized another CD thread on the "Kildare-McCormick House" earlier today regarding the house being gutted and pieces sold off: Kildare-Mccormick House

I would guess that hopefully this "threat" is either his way of trying to extort a high purchase price as you stated or his way to trying to get revenge on whomever was involved in denying his "fortress fence" from being allowed there- even though they denied his fence I'm sure they won't be happy to see the house torn down because it is a historic landmark in the City of Huntsville.

Here is the direct link to the WAFF video that was posted on the other thread: Kildare Mansion to be gutted and the pieces sold - WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

The owner(s)? of that house are definitely some weird people!