Yesterday while walking along one of my favorite blocks in the city, I noticed this house for the first time. Clearly abandoned (as a few buildings are on this block suspiciously, which worries me about future development) it has seen better days. But what days they were! The arched window on the 3rd floor and the little Rupunzel tower with the onion skin dome in the attic! These are the things dreams are made of! In my dream- I'd have the top 2 stories of this house for my apartment with my bedroom in the eves and my blogger desk set into that corner tower. Don't forget to look up; even on familiar streets you just may spot something new!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Something new
Yesterday while walking along one of my favorite blocks in the city, I noticed this house for the first time. Clearly abandoned (as a few buildings are on this block suspiciously, which worries me about future development) it has seen better days. But what days they were! The arched window on the 3rd floor and the little Rupunzel tower with the onion skin dome in the attic! These are the things dreams are made of! In my dream- I'd have the top 2 stories of this house for my apartment with my bedroom in the eves and my blogger desk set into that corner tower. Don't forget to look up; even on familiar streets you just may spot something new!
Look up is one of my father's lessons to us. He would take us to explore the city and tell us to look up so we could see the original architecture of the building.
ReplyDeleteMeg, especially in cities like Baltimore (and pittsburgh) where things had been altered rather than left alone or torn down and rebuilt!
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to say the same thing in New York City. When you are young, you tend to look at things just on your level, missing so much on the stories above--whole new businesses, whole new cultures, totally different architecture.
ReplyDeleteOooh! The arched window is to die for! That's a lucky find
ReplyDeleteDo you have a date for the building? Are there any other examples around the neighbourhood?
ReplyDeleteMost of the block (1700 block of N street) are mansion townhouses from around 1900. Many have been converted to businesses over the years but respect the original architecture. My favorite restaurant/bar/hotel is on that block - the tabard inn - i've blogged about it before here.
ReplyDeletehttp://architectdesign.blogspot.com/2008/10/tabard-inn.html
What a great building! Finding gems like this is always fun because these buildings just have so much character. Something that most buildings today sadly lack. Great post!
ReplyDeleteWho could afford to build something this way today with such remarkable architectural detail? ...probably not many people. I always wonder how such an interesting, one of a kind building could wind up abandoned, and it appears to also be in a very nice neighborhood. If it winds up being restored I hope you'll post a follow up. It would be great if your fantasy of living there were to become a reality.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find! It is so disappointing to see buildings like this just sitting empty and abandoned. let us hope that they will not be torn down for some ugly development. If only I had the cash!
ReplyDeleteSeriously?! It's empty?! Hard to beleive....it is fantastic!! I hope soemone falls in love and takes care of her soon!
ReplyDeleteI do hope they do not tear that gem down. Great eye Stefan, sometimes we forget to look.
ReplyDeleteI do hope they do not tear that gem down. Great eye Stefan, sometimes we forget to look.
ReplyDeleteI always look up at architecture. You never know what beauty you'll see.
ReplyDeleteLove that, and to think with your EYE you have missed it. it looks like someone who definitely was tuned into the 1900 vibe.- by the way do you read that blog? so wonderful. pgt
ReplyDeleteThat's fab!
ReplyDeleteDo you not have listing in the Us which protects old buildings?
This would surely be protected in this country!
Good point about looking up, and also really looking and noticing detail anywhere. It is so easy not to properly observe and also work out how and why things please you visually.
Best Wishes
R
this place is the bees knees. how about a link so we can see it on bing
ReplyDeletesecurity word def - "intis" - Southern dialect for "isn't it"