One of the City's most recognizable street scapes, at the end of Louisiana Street, is almost gone. This neighborhood, once home to grain scoopers, longshoremen and foundry workers and filled with some of the finest examples of Great Lakes Workers Vernacular, is disappearing.
Both 71 and 73 Louisiana were picked up by the city during recent tax foreclosure proceedings in 2005 and 2007 and later demolished.The first pic, from September 2006 - Buffalo River Trip - clearly shows both 71 and 73 in an advanced state of decay. At the time 75 Louisiana appeared occupied. The bottom pic is from a recent First Ward neighborhood walk earlier this month. 75 Louisiana is now abandoned and on the City's demolition list.
Update - 11/19/09 - Here's another view, from 1995. 71, 73 and 75 Louisiana are on the right hand side of this pic.
Update - 11/20/09 - According to City records 71 Louisiana was demolished pursuant to court order in 2006 for $21k and 73 Louisiana was demolished in 2008 at a cost of 9k. The City hasn't recovered the cost of demolition from the former owners. In August an emergency demolition order was issued by the commissioner for the demolition of 75 Louisiana Street.
Update - 11/19/09 - Here's another view, from 1995. 71, 73 and 75 Louisiana are on the right hand side of this pic.
Update - 11/20/09 - According to City records 71 Louisiana was demolished pursuant to court order in 2006 for $21k and 73 Louisiana was demolished in 2008 at a cost of 9k. The City hasn't recovered the cost of demolition from the former owners. In August an emergency demolition order was issued by the commissioner for the demolition of 75 Louisiana Street.
Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the Neighborhood
4 comments:
That was probably the most stunning and underappreciated streetscape in all of Buffalo.
Agreed! Those were actually some nicely detailed buildings as well. Some day we might realize the beauty of those grain elevators and the great potential they have as magnificent urban sculptures.
It irritates me that they're tearing THAT down but there are plenty of houses that are decayed now and clearly weren't shit when they were brand-new that are still standing. Not having any idea what the inside is like, it looks salvageable to me.
These before and after photos really get a message across. It's sad to see houses get so bad but it's also sad to see houses demolished that could still be saved.
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