I am no expert, but my guess is that the original roofline has been horribly altered as well. The third-floor bits that are vinyl don't look like they go with the rest of the house.
Unfortunately, a fate of many houses around here. My own house has vinyl that I would like to get rid of, but under that is a layer of asbestos shingle, and we'd have to remove that too. Which escalates the cost significantly.
We lived for a while in the third-oldest house in Somerville, and were constantly amazed at things the previous owner had done.
oh, i hear ya. it's sad, and i don't quite understand it.
i think it might hark back to a time when "cost-effective" and "maintenance-free" terms worked their way in to people's value systems. when i was a small kid in the 70s, i distinctly remember my dad proudly proclaiming that "you can't tell the difference" [between our new aluminum siding and the original wood clapboard]. never mind that every last architectural detail was stripped off the house in the process.
but maybe someone will come along and recognize its inner beauty and decide to restore it
I'm not sure where that house is but the Boston neighbourhoods have really gone in different directions in the past in terms of likelihood of restoration vs tear down put up something new/cheap/vile
do you work on historic renovations in your day job?
I am no expert, but my guess is that the original roofline has been horribly altered as well. The third-floor bits that are vinyl don't look like they go with the rest of the house.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, a fate of many houses around here. My own house has vinyl that I would like to get rid of, but under that is a layer of asbestos shingle, and we'd have to remove that too. Which escalates the cost significantly.
We lived for a while in the third-oldest house in Somerville, and were constantly amazed at things the previous owner had done.
oh, i hear ya. it's sad, and i don't quite understand it.
ReplyDeletei think it might hark back to a time when "cost-effective" and "maintenance-free" terms worked their way in to people's value systems. when i was a small kid in the 70s, i distinctly remember my dad proudly proclaiming that "you can't tell the difference" [between our new aluminum siding and the original wood clapboard]. never mind that every last architectural detail was stripped off the house in the process.
God, I hate vinyl siding.
ReplyDeleteugh... vinyl siding is the worst (so says someone who worked residing/roofing homes for 10+ years)
ReplyDeletedon't do it.
aka Remuddled...sigh
ReplyDeletebut maybe someone will come along and recognize its inner beauty and decide to restore it
I'm not sure where that house is but the Boston neighbourhoods have really gone in different directions in the past in terms of likelihood of restoration vs tear down put up something new/cheap/vile
do you work on historic renovations in your day job?
They just don't make them like they used to.
ReplyDeleteCambridge and absentee landlords = a massive disappointment
ReplyDeleteThis city could be so much more.