1146 South East Street a few years back
All that remains today
So the grand old house at 1146 South East Street, with of course a great view of the mountains to the east, ended up slipping through the cracks. And now it's history.
Click to enlarge/read
The most the Historical Commission could have done was to enact a one year demolition delay, although at their last meeting they are discussing trying to enhance their powers to delay demolitions for 18 months.
Either way, too late for this old house.
12 comments:
It's just an old house. The new house will have a great view too.
I'm sure it will.
The look of the new house within the landscape fronting South East Street is what concerns folks.
I live in an old home, built in 1785. Would I take it down....no.
Its been there this long and will be be standing long after this
new structure is built and falls to the ground.
So much for progress.
I'm assuming the greenhouses out back are gone as well. Hope the bluebird houses along the fence line survived.
Give me a break! If you wish to preserve something, a house, a view, etc, take up a collection and buy it. Private property rights allow folks to do what they wish with the land (and improvements) that they bought with their own hard earned money. So many people in Amherst are anti progress! The new house will surely be tactful as the owners are spending a good sum on their new project. The town will get more tax money, and the neighboring properties will increase in value! Stop being so darn afraid of CHANGE!
The old house was new once too. Time to move on.
Let's face it - it wasn't exactly the most handsome house in town.
Four decades ago I built my dad a big, complicated house, just outside a big, complicated city. It took me years of weekends and summers and "spare time" but it was pretty special and he enjoyed until it got too much for him to manage. So he sold it someone who promised to "take care of it" - well, back in 2009, the value of the land without the house was more than with the house, so the new owner really "took care of it" by tearing the house down.
Now, 6 years - about the time it took me to build the house - later, the land stands vacant.
I dream of that house from time to time. In the dream every detail - from brickwork to plumbing to wiring to ventilation and beyond - is vivid, since I did all that with my own hands.
This "dream house" now seems more real than the real house….
Good for the owner. Ownership solves so many issues when allowed. Now folks can worry about their stuff.
Why are people always surprised when they learn that nothing is forever? Now, what if that precious land held a duplex and *two* families raised their children there? And *those* children were able to get a job here and find a place and raise *their* children? That would really be something. So, the past is gone, but what about now? And what about the "future inhabitants" (MGL 40A) that we are responsible to protect? Oops, I forgot. Town Meeting, by law, has no fiduciary duty. We are not responsible to "future inhabitants". We are responsible to no one. Okay, let's cling to the past, try to make it somehow permanent, see how far that gets us.
So what you are really saying is the historical commission is missing three busybodies.
Prepare to be amazed. It will be magnificent. The property is in the best of hands. Larry Kelly myob.
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