Living in the city is not for everyone. The rewards are many, but it asks a lot of residents, too. The latest buzzword is "quality of life." In its lowest common denominator, it means having respect for others.
Buffalo's legacy of antique housing stock and its neighborhoods is perhaps its biggest asset. There are numerous examples fine craftsmanship and carpentry from the 19th century and simply can't be duplicated today.
Our block club has always focused on housing and quality of life issues. 18 Plymouth Ave. is a real-life case of a house which has both housing and quality of life implications.
Here's the short version of the situation: The house is a large dwelling constructed in 1892 on the site of the former Sidway Mansion. It was built with a carriage house on a large lot, about 70 feet wide and 180 feet deep. The mansion was equipped with all the comforts and luxuries of the day.
As the nature of the neighborhood began to change near the end of the 1920s and more fashionable neighborhoods were located north of this area, homes as large as 18 Plymouth began to be carved up for rooming houses and apartments. The Great Depression in the 1930s also hurt these houses to a great extent.
This house was spared the fate of being used as a rooming house and instead was used as a funeral home for about 50 years, between the late 1920s and the 1970s. Its fine woodwork and architectural details became an asset and provided a home-like atmosphere for mourners of the deceased.
After its phase as a funeral home, it was converted into three apartments, one on each floor. The carriage house was turned into 2 apartments.
After remaining in good condition for over 100 years, the house took a downward spiral. In 1998, the owner of the home defaulted on a mortgage which was insured by Freddie Mac. The home was vacant for over a year.
The block where the house is located is considered one of the most needy within the bounds of our block club. Even so, within the last year 4 homes sold on the block were purchased by caring residents who will live in them and restore them. That's the good news. The danger is that 18 Plymouth had been priced low ($22,500) and was loaded with oak and mahogany woodwork and stained/leaded glass. Unfortunately, this home became a target for architectural thieves. Between October and late November 1999, all stained and leaded glass windows, fireplace mantles and oak fixtures were stolen from the home despite neighborhood attempts at watching over the house.
After our block club conducted a walking tour in February, 1999, participants were asked to identify the biggest problems and assets in our area. Here's a sample of their responses:
ASSETS
The beautiful architecture cannot be found in any other neighborhood in the city. - Virginia McIntyre, First Presbyterian Church.
WEAKNESSES
The availability of numerous rental properties affordable to lower income people and absentee landlord problem. - Paul Lachacz
Absentee landlords. - Dinah Gamin
The landlords who don't care. People who throw litter in everyone's yards. - D.R.
Absentee Landlords. - Kaye Lapping, Allentown Association
The few (never as many as the good) slumlords and irresponsible tenants. - Thomas E. Gleed, Assistant to the Mayor of the City of Buffalo
In an attempt to help this house, this letter was written to Freddie Mac. . .
And this was their reply. . .
In late October, a plea in the form of a letter was sent to the city in asking for help in boarding the property.
The property was boarded, but the thieves still came.
A second letter was sent to the city, and sympathetic citizens sent notes of support.
ARTVOICE, a local arts-oriented newspaper, even ran an ad for the KCA, where the block club offered a reward for information, and a final update was given on the property.
Finally, in November, 1999 the property was purchased at auction by Jan Hoopengarner and Maggie Reeves, two very nice ladies from our neighbors in the north (Canada). Our block club wishes them luck with the renovation of the property - we only wish that more of it was intact. At the very least, the house was somewhat preserved in photographs and can perhaps serve as rallying call for similar plights in our neighborhood and city.
Just before the Hoopengarner's and Reeve's were about to close on the house in January, the house was broken into once again and thieves even tried to remove the staircase from the house. A local television station was contacted and a local NBC affiliate interviewed several residents, the realtor and prospective buyers. It brought much needed attention to the case.
The Hoopengarner's and Reeve's did decide to close on the property and beginning in March, 2000, they began to restore the property. They sent a note to the KCA stating their committment to restore the property.
Due to circumstances beyond the new owner's control, the property is again for sale.
The price is: $60,000
Contact information is: Jan Lecko, (905) 788-2053, cell (905) 704-8959.
View Photos of 18 Plymouth Interior