Liberty Street, West End, Cincinnati, OH
Upon receiving a tip from a friend about a city-ordered demolition of an historic Italianate apartment building on W Liberty Street in the city's West End, I decided to go out and investigate. This demolition beggars belief, it is both irrational and short-sighted, as so many buildings in a similar neglected and abandoned state throughout surrounding neighborhoods, some mere blocks away, have been renovated and are now highly desirable and vibrant places, but this building will become yet another vacant lot, a victim of the city's deaf, dumb, and blind policy of wholesale demolition of any structure that has been neglected, regardless of potential future or historical value. However, it did appear that there had recently been a fire on the first floor, but buildings in far rougher shape with far more interior damage have survived and been restored. This Italianate-style three-and-a-half story building was constructed as apartments in the 1870s, and originally housed the city's then-large German immigrant population. It survived urban renewal and the widening of Liberty Street, only to become neglected by a slumlord (whom are well-protected by the politicians in the city), and then abandoned, finally having the city put out an order for its demolition. It's disgraceful that in this day and age and the lessons we should have learned from the mistakes this city has made, that we are still throwing all of our heritage and history into the landfill.
Liberty Street, West End, Cincinnati, OH
Upon receiving a tip from a friend about a city-ordered demolition of an historic Italianate apartment building on W Liberty Street in the city's West End, I decided to go out and investigate. This demolition beggars belief, it is both irrational and short-sighted, as so many buildings in a similar neglected and abandoned state throughout surrounding neighborhoods, some mere blocks away, have been renovated and are now highly desirable and vibrant places, but this building will become yet another vacant lot, a victim of the city's deaf, dumb, and blind policy of wholesale demolition of any structure that has been neglected, regardless of potential future or historical value. However, it did appear that there had recently been a fire on the first floor, but buildings in far rougher shape with far more interior damage have survived and been restored. This Italianate-style three-and-a-half story building was constructed as apartments in the 1870s, and originally housed the city's then-large German immigrant population. It survived urban renewal and the widening of Liberty Street, only to become neglected by a slumlord (whom are well-protected by the politicians in the city), and then abandoned, finally having the city put out an order for its demolition. It's disgraceful that in this day and age and the lessons we should have learned from the mistakes this city has made, that we are still throwing all of our heritage and history into the landfill.