Prabakin stari stan

To je priča o 1942-44 Hebert Street, koji se nalazi u Starom ST. Louis susjedstvu St. Louis, MO. Kao i mnogi njegovi susjedi, ova struktura je vidio i boljih dana. Postao sam zainteresiran za zgrade, jer je moja prabaka je živio na ovoj adresi u 1930.

Obitelj mog djeda po majci živjela je u sjevernom dijelu St. Louis during his childhood from 1915 to the early 1930s. Posjedovao je kuću na Aveniji Dryden 1950-ih, which is in much better condition than this building. Nostalgično je govorio o odrastanju u Walnut Parku i životu sa svojim ujacima Julesom. Nažalost, Ujak Jules’ kuća na Thrush Avenue sada je prazna parcela.

Gornja slika je od 1942-44 Hebert Street today. The two-family flat was built in 1882 making it 131 godina. O tadašnjim standardima gradnje svjedoči činjenica da joj je krovište gotovo potpuno nestalo, the entire rear of the building has collapsed into the backyard, na nekim zidovima nedostaju cigle i čini se da su se gornji katovi srušili zbog kiše koja je ulazila kroz krov. Još, the building still stands.

A “For Sale Sign” is visible on the 1944 ulazna ploča, ali vjerojatno je prilično stara. The Land Revitalization Authority, St. Louis City delinquent property owner, took over the property in 1996. According to city records, it has been vacant since at least 1995. It was recently condemned in January 2013, which probably means a date with the wrecking ball is on tap within the next few months. The city will demolish 1942-44 Hebert Street with nary a whimper. Neighbors will probably celebrate that they don’t have to live with the eye sore any more. Old North St. Louis has been experiencing a revitalization. Residents are saving many of the buildings. If the 1942-44 Hebert Street could have remained intact a little longer, it could have been saved too.

Nažalost, kratkovidni urbanisti mislili su da bi bila sjajna ideja pustiti da stari stambeni fond u sjevernom dijelu grada istrune, so it could be demolished and replaced with newer housing. Južni dio grada izgrađen je na nizu pećina, pa su brojne vrtače na tom području otežavale gradnju. The North side built up sooner, so the buildings tend to be older.

Naturally, the housing stock was older but little thought was given to its place in the history of the city or the superior construction of the time. 1942-44 Hebert Street is an eye sore now but in 1930 it was a haven for a widow with a young son, who wanted to be closer to her family. An all too familiar tale of a sad end to a once proud structure on the North Side.

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