19th Century Artistic Healy House To Face Wrecking Ball To Make Way For Mundane Apartment Building
Historic architecture, by master builders, is always a treasure. But a house built by master builder T.P. Healy will soon face a ruthless wrecking ball.
A 19th Century Minneapolis house, conceptualized, designed and built by master builder T. P. Healy hasn’t secured the confirmatory protection from the City Council. The house will now be brought down using a traditional wrecking ball to make way for an apartment building.
After nearly a year trying to protect and restore the historic house, the city council finally decided it wasn’t worth protecting the site and has allowed demolition by wrecking ball. The house, located on 24th Street and Colfax Avenue in the Wedge neighborhood, was built more than 120 years ago by master builder T.P. Healy. Though a stately mansion in its hey days, the house suffered numerous fires and had to be reconstructed several times. Eventually, the insides were converted into a rooming house. Though the house at present has 16 units, the overall condition is said to be very poor and experts advised demolition might be the only sensible thing to do, reported Star Tribune.
City staff recommended allowing demolition by wrecking ball after studying the house and finding that extensive alterations made preservation exceedingly difficult. It has been dubbed the “Orth house” because it was inhabited by the son of a prominent brewer. Ironically, the decision to demolish comes almost exactly a year after the City Council voted that the building did meet the definition of a ‘Historic Resource’. But strangely current owner Michael Crow submitted an application to demolish a historic resource in early 2014, which was what the council acted on Friday.
Eventually, the site is expected to be handed over to developer Michael Lander, who wants to build a 45-unit apartment building, where the house now stands. Interestingly, Council member Elizabeth Glidden justified the decision to take down the historically rich piece of architecture saying, “This is not about the city ordering a demolition. This is about what are the rights of a property owner who has said this is what he wishes to do with his property”
The house built by T.P. Healy is not in a condition to be lived in, but owing to its significance, Nicole Curtis, host of HGTV’s “Rehab Addict” and a resident of the area had officially submitted an offer of $400,000 to purchase the property from being brought down by a wrecking ball. But documents submitted earlier by Crow show he wants at least $600,000 for the site, reported Fox9.
T.P Healy had designed about 140 houses in the Minneapolis area, many of which still stand tall to this day, but it looks like this one will be cruelly brought down by a wrecking ball.
[Images via Bing]
