Check Out These Spine-Tingling Preservation Horror Stories
Historic preservation is not for the faint of heart! From absolutely terrifying "remuddling" jobs, to spooky red tape and vampiric developers, we've truly experienced some frights. We asked our members about the devilish things they've seen as historic preservationists. Check out some of their responses below.
What's the most horrifying thing you've experienced in the world of historic preservation?
My CLG subgrant proposal has a line item to pay SHPO for access to their database so I, as the CLG staff, can participate in data entry and project oversight.
A donor rested his hand on my butt during the annual house and garden tour gala night.
A certain Midwestern state has a shadow ban on Multiple Property Documents. They’ve even edited the main NR form to delete the reference to MPDs.
Look at what the owners have allowed to happen to the Deauville Hotel on Miami Beach. An American Beatle landmark falling apart bit by bit. Pathetic.
The chair of our Land Development Review Board received approval to rezone a gateway parcel that his real estate company owns. It was then sold to a 7-11.
We work in a historic house – and it’s haunted. For instance, staff has had doors open by themselves when there was no one else there and heard a voice speaking the name of the woman who used to live there and passed away. Several of our team won’t stay there after dark.
Watching an Eastlake Victorian house on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans get painted all white.
Appraisers not having a clue as to what they are looking at, end up low balling and saying an historic house interior needs to be “updated” instead of restored, and their ignorance costing the loan. We are going through this now.
Watching people being evicted from historic buildings (and naturally-occurring affordable housing) so they can sit empty for years while the plans are finalized for high-end condos.
Replacing original historic windows with new, modern windows, when they could have been restored.
Beautiful historic buildings demolished for a parking lot.
Being told old buildings are less energy efficient!