Time capsule indeed! Good luck with the Powerball! :-)

It has an authentic feeling that touched me. I would hate to see it go. It's beautiful on the outside too

OMG the OCD in me would never let me live in that! UGH! I'm sure I'd go stark raving mad.

It is beautiful and haunting. I confess I'd worry about mice and fires.

I am pretty obsessive compulsive, too. I am finishing the third bathroom designed around full tiles (On an exact 2" increment or 4.25" increment). But I would somehow find a way to make obsessiveness work. I am familiar with the house, and it was "maintained" and kept clean. I would have to get rid of the peeling paint in the stair hall.

I would want to carefully rewire the entire house unobtrusively which is why I would find it very expensive to live in it even (visually) "as is". Fire is a distinct issue around here. For the mice, I would have a cat or two.

I also worry about continuing water infiltration.

Is that home in a good neighborhood? I'm sure there are many similar ruins around it, if I recall the setting properly.

Oh dear, this one is so far gone...more than a million to fix it. For the price you could buy a well kept 18th c. farmhouse in New Hampshire or Maine, with land, outbuildings, more quiet, and less crime.

When I was young, I always wanted to redo a big old house but now all I see is a money pit. I hate to see old homes become dilapidated, it's so sad to me!

It is a good neighborhood now. Not many survivors this intact left. There are 1960s rehabs of this era house that are their own type of time capsule. 30-50 years ago there were many houses in the neighborhood in this state.

Wow, what a place. Rare indeed. Hope it is purchased by someone with deep pockets and a desire to restore rather than revamp.

The kitchen is very cool, esp the ceiling....

Could be wonderful...if you win that PowerBall.

The phone in the basement.

I love the kitchen. The ceiling fans are wonderful. And I love, love, love that deck. If I had to live in the city, I would hope for it be in a gem like that.

If we both won powerball? I don't know if I could live that close to other houses with people in them.

Amazing! I just love it. Living near Detroit there are tons of mansions like this from the turn of the century but few this old. What an amazing find. Please update on its fate. I hope someone responsible and wealthy (!) purchases it.

It has such promise!

Good luck with the Powerball

Oh, I totally get the Miss Havisham disheveled romanticism. But it's a total hazmat site, like the "dollar houses" in Baltimore. I'd feel responsible for exposing the guys to the lung destroying molds in this house, never mind the garbage, dead animals, poop.... Gak. And if the joists are eaten you'll have to gut the whole place anyway. Some houses are like Mr. Wrong-- an attractive wreck you think you can fix up, but they end up dragging you through hell...

I think it could be brought back to life. It is just a matter of someone with some money to spare to sink into it. I always think of the houses that are renovated on the show rehab addict. Some look worse than this one and are brought back to their original glory (well mostly).

So beautiful. I could not live in it, but I wish I was the kind of person who could!

Hazardous mold doesn't affect these houses. They are a porous as a sieve. Hazardous mold grows in sealed wet environments that can't dry out: modern houses.

There is probably lead paint and mouse dander but the house is clean and maintained it hasn't been neglected in 40 years.

Simply stunning and amazing it has lasted this long untouched. It reminds me of some of the (lived in) houses I've seen on the Bible of British Taste blog.

That kitchen! I'm surprised Victoria Elizabeth Barnes isn't camped outside with a moving van...

Wow, that is soooo beautiful. The Wyeth dog should be sleeping on the bed in the fourth pic.

I have to differ, speaking from experience. I had lung problems for years after working on houses like this, back in the day. Just look at the photos-- dry rot, wet rot, mold, mildew, the whole zoo. And lots of animal pee and poop, possibly even human, not just dander. Which someone will have to scrape up, and breathe in, and dispose of, as it turns to dust. The stench as it is cleaned out will be almost unbearable. I've worked on houses so bad, I had to go outdoors and vomit.

Now, I know you're thinking, it can't be that bad, or no one could live in it. But they do. Homeless people, junkies, hoarders.

You are going to have to repair the roof, strip the whole thing back to the studs and disinfect the frame. You will find structural problems along the way, I guarantee. The exterior trim may have to be completely replaced. The plaster is so far gone, most plasterers won't even bid it, they'll want it stripped, which means all the lath will likely have to go, as well. Even if they just replace the fallen sections, it may not look the same over time, because modern metal lath isn't like the old wooden lath.

You can take out the floors, moldings and mantles, but they will have to be stripped and cleaned up, then re-installed. Some of that cleanup can be dipped, but some will have to be done with dental tools, and completely avoiding lead paint contamination is almost impossible. It's not just lead, either, until recently paints had a lot of metals, like cadmium and chromium, that are very poisonous. And then there's asbestos.

The heating, electrical, and plumbing is totally gone. The windows are going to need major repair, or replacement, which is specialized and very expensive.

Once you fix all that, with all the nasty unexpected surprises, you get to put in custom kitchens and baths, which should blend with the existing style, so lots more money.

At 2643 square feet, $300 per square feet at least, attempting something like historic preservation standards, that's $792,900, plus whatever you paid for it, so you are over a million before you even get to furnish it.

I love old houses, I spent years in Federal Hill and Bolton Hill working on row houses just like this one, but the reality of working on them is a dangerous, horrific nightmare. Everybody in the trades knows this, and in a rising market, they will likely charge you up the yin yang to restore Miss Havisham to her former glory. And they'd deserve to get every penny.

Beckysharp wrote: I'm surprised Victoria Elizabeth Barnes isn't camped outside with a moving van...

Ha! That's right. I've not seen the Bible of British Taste blog--great images there!

Pal, thanks for sharing the link. What a great place. I, too, love the kitchen especially. Please keep us posted if you learn in whose hands it ends up.

Gosh I hope you win the lottery. I don't play, but if I ever do and I win, I'll bankroll the project and put you in charge.

My dtr lives in a restored 135 yo house in Chicago that is just beautiful. These are the houses of my dreams. Sigh, I live a 1960s ranch in suburbia that I love, BTW, but I'd love a house like this more!

I estimated a million on top of the purchase price. I've some experience what preservation or restoration costs in historic properties.

Without going into the personal details of the deceased owner, I can tell you that he was not living under these conditions because he was impoverished, a junkie, or a hoarder. I've lived near this house for 23 years, I know something about the situation.

I am not saying that anything about this house is Easy.

In my experience because of the expense of doing what needs to be done Right for this house it's going to be done Wrong. My fear is that the next time pictures of the interior of this house show up it's going to be a drywall box inside with recessed cans all over and a millennial kitchen and bathrooms. It will probably look like an anywhere suburban house with an old mantlepiece or two. And that's a shame.

Some of my fav places are Colorado ghost towns - similar philosophy, stabilize the bldgs to prevent further deterioration but no updating or even renovation really except whats necessary to keep them going another 100 yrs. There is the most wonderful vibe that these kinds of places have, some echo of the past that you actually can feel ... and that seems to disappear from a place the moment its covered up with paint. What is that feeling - Ive had that sense when taking down walls in my house and taking off wallpaper

Anyway, I would question whether OP's neighbor's house has been truly stabilized as I would use the word - sadly, it looks like some pretty serious rot around the windows (Unless theres some kind of clear preservative or epoxy on it?) You think of water as this innocuous substance -well, it really can do a lot of damage.

Very interesting topic - Ive look ed at land some with old wrecks of farmhouses that Ive thought of applying the same methodology to - ie preserving the structure, cleaning out the debris, stabilizing/ making it watertight, doing some esthetic improvements but very little else - and using the structure as a rustic retreat . We love camping so even if it had no heat or lights it would still feel like luxury accomodations! As a camper, Ive found that being DRY is the number one thing about civilization that I really appreciate, with being WARM a close second!

Maybe such an approach wouldnt be as daunting or cost as much as Scone outlines, but it would still cost a lot to hire out Im sure vs DIY... and would the city allow the next owners to continue in the same way? Around here if your repairs exceed a certain threshhold you are required to take the whole house up to modern standards.

I wonder what the home would be worth if it is all fixed up? Would it even be worth it? I don't know anything about the area. It could be that if completely restored, it could be worth millions or maybe it's hardly worth it to mess with? Anyone know what those homes are selling for that are restored?

There is a lot of drying out and rot in the windows but in my old place there had been a similar cycle of neglect of the windows and I was able to keep all of the original 1838 sash and frames and sills. There are also a number of newer windows in that complex of buildings, 5-50 years old that are deteriorating more quickly with less neglect than the nearly 180 year old sashes.

The preference of the historic commission here is Repair and coverage with storm windows, Not replacement with modern reproductions, unless absolutely necessary.

There are houses that sell for in the millions in the neighborhood so possibly you would not lose your shirt.

But the real answer is No it does Not make Economic sense to restore this house. But I am not sure that is the point. There is a later Victorian house in the city which the owners spent a rumored $5M to fully restore the interior, when it was already in good livable condition. They will not recoup that, by the same token.

I did not lose my shirt by restoring my last place with genuine plaster cornices and reproduced millwork and the original window and pocket shutters. But I certainly didn't make money like someone who renovated Home Depot style.

But I don't think every life decision has to have a basis in economics. And before you argue with me on that point I will bring up the typical $100,000 and up wedding that takes place around here. That's not sound economic decision and yet it's commonplace.

All great points to consider. I hadn't read Scone911's post when I posted earlier and I can imagine that some of these historic homes/buildings are just awful to work on.

Pal, you noted your historic commission's preference to repair windows in their current state and insert storm windows instead of using modern reproductions. (Did I get that right?) I guess I can see the point of the preference but nothing lasts forever... I'd rather see a modern reproduction that illustrates the original and has the potential to last a few more decades, than continual repair of something that's just not going to make it much longer.

The painter that restored my 1838 sashes said with occasional repainting they could last another 175 years. The historic commission doesn't intend for you to leave them without paint or proper repair. And they are fine with storm windows for protection and insulation. But they prefer that to a modern window .

I think people forget that to a country like England a 180 year old house is not all that old.

The 180 year old sashes in my former house probably went at least 50 years or more at some point without a paint job. The windows in the above house have probably gone 100. They are still there since 1829.

Scrape the paint off one of the modern windows in your house and call me in fifty years and tell me how it's doing. Call me in Ten actually.

Leave your modern house unheated and uncooled and closed up for Two years and call me and let me know how its doing.

They are two different animals.

I see your points, Pal. I'm just trying to understand the reasons, not question the judgements or make some sort of claim about the windows in my house.

Are there financial incentives for owners of historic homes to maintain the original elements of the home? Like the Energystar tax credits? I know there are design and restoration requirements for homes in my community designated as historic by our local commission. But many people who live in genuinely historic homes steer clear of that official designation because of the stringent requirements. It's too costly, no matter how lovely or endeared the home. But if there were financial incentives for maintenance, that might persuade them to paint what's there every 7-10 years, for example, rather than replace with a modern window that doesn't require such maintenance.

ETA the Energystar tax credits isn't a good example here but it's the financial incentive they provide to persuade a homeowner from making a certain choice that's the point.

I don't think there is anything that would be significant.

In certain neighborhoods and with new construction they offer ten year tax abatement -- negotiated by the builders I think -- but nothing for an individual house like this.

And there would be no controls as to what happens to the interior of this house, which in this case is the important part.

What a treat! I'm very familiar with the neighborhood. My Aunt and Uncle had a drugstore/luncheonette at the corner of 10th and Spruce called Clinton Pharmacy. It was opened for over 50 yrs. I bet they knew the owner. That area has a lot of wonderful memories for me.

The kitchen and bathroom are my favorite.

I will check in to Old House Dreams occasionally, but some of the homes on the site are really far gone, too, or else they are great homes in the middle of nowhere. But they sometimes do get bought by people who love old homes. There is a small city near me that was once a booming textile town but has been economically depressed for awhile now. But, the downtown makes for good filming in the Cinemax series "Outcast." Another place you can get a spectacular home for next to nothing.

http://www.oldhousedreams.com/

jerseygirl, did your aunt and uncle at some point live in Hollander House/Strickland Row on that block of Spruce? I lived on 10th and on Spruce, but after the corner was converted to a video store.

Pal, yes they did. Did you know them?

Good luck with the lottery Pal. I hope it doesn't end up as you fear. It could be lovely once again.

No, but one of the residents I was friendly with has lived there since 1968 and she remembers a lot about the neighborhood and mentioned it.

I really hope somebody with the $$$$--and taste level, does a thoughtful reno on this gem.

That's really neat. My memories go way back. All good.