Rest in Peace: June, 2011 City of Pittsburgh Demolition List (in pictures!) (crime, houses)

[PreservationPioneer]

Discovering Historic Pittsburgh: City of Pittsburgh Demolition List (June, 2011)

This is a new series I will be doing on my blog -- documenting historic buildings on the city's demolition list with pictures. It's called "Rest in Peace." Enjoy!

[Jrn14]

The first two houses look pretty cool and have nice fronts.

The two on Voskamp street look like delapagated toolsheds... why would one try to restore that?

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

Originally Posted by Jrn14

The first two houses look pretty cool and have nice fronts.

The two on Voskamp street look like delapagated toolsheds... why would one try to restore that?

Do you not understand what the word "demolition" means?

[Jrn14]

I understand, but Allegheny Angel is advocating that those two shacks on Voskamp street should be restored instead of torn down. (correct me if I'm wrong)

I mean I know this is something you are passionate about AA, but I don't see anything about those two particular houses that deserves to be restored.

[PreservationPioneer]

I was not advocating for the "two shacks" on Voskamp to be restored. I very specifically state in my post that "some of these houses are beyond repair." However, they are cool to look at.

The point of this section of my blog isn't to preserve everything, but to document what is being demolished and hopefully preserve some of the deserving structures.

[PreservationPioneer]

Here are the two "dilapidated tool sheds." LOL. I thought these were interesting because they reminded me of New Orleans shotgun houses.

BTW, I think small houses are cool, too. It doesn't have to be grand or a mansion to be cool.

[cowboyxjon]

I like these houses, but I agree that they're probably not worth the cost to restore. It's interesting that the one on the right seems to be connected to the house next to it. Is the house next to it abandoned as well?

[nuwaver88]

We need preservation groups. That's for sure. However, we cannot save everything. Sometimes you've got to YouTube - ‪REO Speedwagon - Roll With The Changes [HQ] (Live Midnight Special 1978)‬‏



Cities change over time. It is part of turning the page and starting a new chapter.

[I_Like_Spam]

There are certainly a lot of pretty crappy houses in the city.

In many areas, including over here in L'ville especially in the alleys, the houses were put up cheap for mill workers when they were first built a hundred years ago, and its suprising that so many are still standing.

Considering the long periods of economic decline and the fact that many have extensive water damage, they are often attractions for crime and teenagers looking for trouble, and it is just as well that many of these houses are seeing demolition.

Some certainly can be restored and should be.

But its probably unlikely except in areas which are already on the ascendancy. The Spring Garden Valley, for example, is pretty down in the dumps, it would be really, really speculative to spend boo-koo cash to renovate a home down there if you don't know when you'll be able to get your money back from it.

[SteelCityRising]

I'm on the verge of shedding a tear whenever I look at the image you posted of the view of Boyle Street. That block will now look hideous with its gaps. We have this same problem with "gap teeth" in Polish Hill, too, and NO new construction will EVER successfully recapture the historic ambiance of the neighborhood.

Is the city planning to regularly upkeep these lots once they demolish these homes, or are they going to do what they do in Polish Hill and neglect the properties so the rest of the neighborhood looks horrible?