Years of neglect led to the razing of a house more than a century old, but the owner of the house plans to rebuild with an eye toward the past.
To some people, the three-story pink stucco house at 1319 Vt. was an eyesore, a dilapidated and abandoned building whose time had come.
Dennis Enslinger has a different perspective, and he watched with interest Friday morning as the structure tumbled to the ground in a shower of chalky dust, splintered wood and chunks of bricks.
As the scoop on the trackhoe repeatedly swooped down, smashing walls and floors to a pile of rubble, Enslinger, historic resources administrator for the city's Historic Resources Commission, looked for signs of its history. The house, built sometime in the 1870s, received additions in the 1930s or 1940s. More recently, it was split into multiple living areas, but the last occupant left about eight months ago.
"It's a clear case of demolition by neglect," said Enslinger.
The house, deemed uninhabitable by a city inspector in June, was razed to make way for a new duplex. Owner Ron Anderson, Edina, Minn., bought the house this summer and plans to replace it with a building firmly rooted in the past.
"We'd like to do something that looks like it fits right in the area," said Anderson, a real estate office manager who rehabilitated the house next door, at 1313 Vt. His daughter, Emily Anderson, and five other Kansas University students live in the adjacent house.
Bob Fisher's Y2K Construction, Lawrence, worked on the project at 1313 Vt., completely restoring the original woodwork, flooring and windows. New plumbing, wiring, and heating and air-conditioning systems were installed, along with two bedrooms in the attic. Anderson plans to sell the house as a single-family dwelling when his daughter graduates.
Fisher salvaged woodwork from the house at 1319 Vt., which he dubbed "Pink Floyd," to use in the renovation next door.
While Enslinger noted the loss of the house at 1319 Vt., he applauded Anderson's efforts to renovate the adjacent house. As a member of the Historic Resources Commission, he reviewed the renovation plans as well as the demolition plans.
"It was a difficult decision" to raze such an old house, he said. "But given the amount of deterioration, it highlights that there are buildings that fall into neglect."
Enslinger said he'd toured the building with potential buyers during the 1 1/2 years it was on the market, and all agreed that the house was beyond salvaging.
-- Chris Koger's phone message number is 832-7126. His e-mail address is ckoger@ljworld.com.
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