[SOS: Save Our Springfield]Ever since Springfield was added to the National Register of Historic Districts in 1987, our neighborhood has lost an estimated 450 structures through demolition. 450 historic structures that no money in this world can ever bring back. Sometimes an old structure is too far gone to save but most often the cause is greed and wanton neglect leading to the destruction of the historic fabric of this neighborhood.
Demolition should be the very last resort, not the standard solution. Too often a house is doomed to demolition because the owner/investor neglected to properly secure the structure or , in growing numbers, orchestrated the demise of a house in order to force the city's hand to demolition.
Case in point: 1325 N Laura St.
When its current owner bought it in 2006, it was a perfectly livable historic home. The buyer requested its demolition in order to build a new house on the property and was denied. In the following years he stripped it to its bare bones: siding, windows, flooring and even the chimney are all gone, the house an empty shell left to the mercy of the elements. The fact that it's still standing is evidence of how well it was once built. This house is now on the table for demolition which is what the owner wanted in the first place.
There are no safeguards in place that keep an owner/investor like that from forcing the city's hand destroying the historic heritage of our city. This has got to stop!
If you have a moment, please consider signing our petition
Thank you!
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