Miracle on Second Street

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 8:54 am

Shelley's blog at http://sanctaflora.wordpress.com/ has some new photos of the construction site showing (finally!) some action across the street from the B&B.

Typical of every construction project I have ever seen. Do nothing during the good weather but wait until the cold weather is bearing down on you to start. Then have the holidays as well, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years which will all be further delays.

Does anyone wonder why these projects always cost multiple times their original estimate?

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 9:57 am

I too was amazed- typical municipal planning!! Nothing happened at the site for all of September when the weather was sublime, then a little action in October (two solitary steamshovels- and now the diggers are going berserk and piles of gravel and concrete blocks are everywhere. I did not think concrete could cure properly in cold weather. It is 37 here today.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:08 pm

Things are progressing slowly with a lot of noise and bright orange plastic screening. These were taken this past weekend when I woke up early. The first is taken from the guestroom- you can see the shadow of the house falling on the courthouse future site. Piles of dirt are everywhere and it seems like the foundation outline is dug. Not terribly holiday -festive.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 6:26 pm

Thanks for the updated photos, Shell!

I thought they might dig a pretty big hole- for a basement level- but that doesn't look too bad...

As for the pic with the Borden House shadow over the construction site- that is really cool!

So will the courthouse block the sun on the newly exposed part of the House after all, eventually you think?

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:47 am

Sadly, yes, I think the courthouse is going to throw a big shadow on the house when the sun sinks in the west behind the courthouse. It is so very much taller than the house-the entire feel of the street is going to be quite different on summer evenings.

mbhenty · Post by **mbhenty** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:10 am

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 1:32 pm

Lack of logic, exceedingly bad planning, lack of respect for history, pay-offs & under table deals with City Hall, contractors, sub-contractors & sub-contractors of sub-contractors...pretty much the same anywhere in North America.

I live in a small city very much like Fall River...former mill town, very hilly, very (decaying) Victorian atmosphere downtown...& very stupid urban planning.

Can totally relate.

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 2:08 pm

It's just like what happened in my home town. When I was really little about 102 years ago there was an absolutely beautiful Victorian court house in the middle of town with a gorgeous yard. Then, in the 1950's they decided to tear it down "because it was too old fashioned" and they filled the area with things like Woolworths, shoe stores, etc. Now, they've torn down all the stores and are putting a park exactly where the court house and grounds -used to be. Idiocy.

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 10:54 am

Hello

It has been a little while, but I have been busy on the home front.

I have checked the forum now and then but I don't like posting unless I have the time to read the other postings and do a better job.

I think that Fall River may come to regret building the court house where the Bowen house used to be.

In the interest of Historic value and Tourism it would be better to make the street look as it did in 1892.

Rebuilding some of the structures like the Bowen house or Wade's Grocery may seem like a wast of time and money to some but the benefits in tourism would pay off in the long run.

92 second street is one of the most famous addresses in the world. Having the street as it was in 1892 would attract more people.

Many of the streets in Fall River look much the same as they did 100 years ago, in regard to the houses on them.

Second street is only one street in the City of Fall River, so it would not be like we were asking the city council to have every street as it once was.

Many things have changed in recent years to make Fall River more attractive for Lizzie buffs.

1____There was a Lizzie Borden conference on the 100th aniversary of the crime.

2____ 92 second street has been opened to the public. No doubt that people came for years before to look at the house, but unless they had special permision they were not allowed to enter it.

3____Maplecroft for a time was open to the public, and hopfully it will be again.

4____Central Church has been opened to the public as the Abby Grill.

5____The Fall River historical society opened up a Lizzie Borden room, with Artifacts from the case on display.

6____The Leary press was removed from 92 second street and the Barn was rebuilt.

7____Several more books have been published on the case between the late 1980's and now.

8____More documentaries have been made.

9____We had the Lizzie Borden Quarterly for a nine years, and now we have the Hatchet

All of these things give the public more of an interst in the story and a greater desire to visit Fall River.

Wade's grocery could be run as a modern convieniece store or perhaps as a real 1892 style store.

I am sure people would want to see the inside of the Bowen house so they could charge for admission.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:52 pm

I stuck my head out the "girls dress closet" now known as the second floor bathroom early this morning and snapped a shot of the monstrous concrete foundations which rival Boston's Big Dig. It was a beautiful weekend- warm yesterday and chilly but sunny today, about 30 degrees this morning.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 6:47 pm

These taken from the third floor about 7:20-am interesting to see the shadow of #92 over the foundation. This courthouse complex is going to be HUGE.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:19 pm

It had been awhile since I have been to work on Second Street but the house is getting busy again. I had a real shock turning the corner of Borden and Second. I liked the snow-topped topiaries in front of Borden Place East but was stunned to see the courthouse with siding. I have more photos of the views from different points in town on the link below the photos.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:33 am

Shelley, thanks for the photos.

It's an UGLY building looking at it from 92 Second. Just a box. Jeesh!

Lizzie would never approve.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:54 am

It is a disgrace. Never have I seen LESS sympathy on the part of an architect for the surroundings. Just a short way north is the exquisite Academy building. Surely whatever nincompoop drew up the plans could have taken neighboring buildings into consideration. The building looked nowhere near as tall in the PR sketches either, and showed trees, and more lawn. I think it may well rival the "new" city hall as the ugliest building in Fall River. The style, shape, color, size- NOTHING fits with the location, lot size, surroundings, etc. I think sometimes the city planners simply go for the cheapest bid- not the best one. Very sad state of affairs- and will probably be permanent for a century or more.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:26 pm

Today's view coming from the barn . . .no comment.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 3:28 pm

Oh MY!

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 4:38 pm

Indeed. Not much one can say about what has to be the ugliest cellblock in the city- makes city hall look elegant.

Nadzieja · Post by **Nadzieja** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:57 pm

I don't know who the architect is but have they no knowledge of what looks good together, or what makes a neighborhood desireable? I think it is so out of place it hurts to look at it.

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:25 pm

Is it just me or is the field of architecture devoid of imagination lately? That building looks like a parking lot standing on edge.

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 12:38 am

Maybe we can get a magician to come up with some kind of an optical illusion so that the guests at the Lizzie House won't have to look at that thing.

Houdini, Copperfield, Blackstone, I call upon you now.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:18 am

I am just totally dazed at how it all came about. Spitting distance away is the beautiful Academy building. Surely the "City and State Planners" must have received many designs from companies bidding for the job. Surely the Great Municipal and State Minds said "Hey, we want something which will blend in nicely with the surrounding buildings, honor the architectural heritage of the city ( granite, brick, etc,) - you think ANYBODY ever gave a single thought as to what this thing on Second Street would actually look like in the end? I laugh when I look at the architect's "rendering" from 2 years ago- no way does this building look half as nice as the concept drawing which showed landscaped lawns, trees, land around the building. I can tell you every bloody centimenter has been crammed with concrete. And this structure is probably going to last forever, getting uglier by the year- like the city hall over route 195. I don't think even anything could be done now to make the new courthouse remotely attractive to the eye. I also predict parking is going to be verrry interesting even though the courthouse has a parking lot tacked onto the end and there is a parking lot at the end of Second Street which is usually full. None of this looks good, and the seedy temporary bus stop around the corner on Borden Street is another eyesore.

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:52 am

Maybe a mural painted on the side of the building replicating Second Street in 1892.... If it must be ugly, at least it would be entertaining!

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 12:31 pm

All I can say is...EGADS!!!

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:21 pm

I wonder if there's any way to make it into a gigantic M. C. Escher type water feature?

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:29 pm

Now Escher I could handle

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:34 pm

Maybe with some barber pole red and white stripes....

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:35 pm

Oh, now that is just a new low in architectural yuck! Why must everything being built nowadays be a concrete and glass block? There is nothing I can see about that building that looks user friendly, it looks intimidating, more like a factory than a court building. Thanks for sharing the pics with us, Shelley.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:20 pm

People who have not been to visit for awhile get such a shock. Poor things. Alas, there is not even any way to paint a mural on the side of the building thanks to the ugly horizontal rows of windows. Poor little Second Street- only the Kelly house left in that block- the rest is ugly red brick senior housing of Borden Place East and now the Box of Doom across the street. The owner of the Kelly house will allow anything to the property. He has the whole building and attached house up for sale and if the price is right he will sell it all to the highest bid-for any use, including a parking lot. So far, though, no nibbles. I do keep in touch and have been writing to him with photos of the old Second St, info on previous owners and of course Lizzie, hoping he will be persuaded to keep the structure intact. I have hopes. If the Kelly house falls, then #92 will look odd as sole residence on a street of commercial and business edifices.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:11 am

I wonder what Andrew Borden would say?
He might finally be glad to move away to the Hill?

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:23 am

After I awoke today, I lie in bed thinking of what Lizzie would say about this.

A thought came to me. Lizzie denies both murders but is convicted of the crimes.

Lizzie is sentenced by the court to have that Monstrosity built across the street from her home and she must live at 92 second street and look at that thing for the rest of her life.

Once the building is completed and Lizzie sees how ugly it is, Lizzie appeals her sentence to the court, Lizzie pleads to the court, saying "Okay I'll confess, I did it, I killed Abby and father. Put me in jail, Hang me, Anything, but don't make me spend the rest of my days looking at that thing.

Then today it would be explained to guests at the Lizzie house that it was Lizzie's punishment, to have that thing built by her home. A sentence more harsh than that would be difficult to imagine.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:51 am

The building that ate Second Street!

Almost brings a tear to my eye.

It's really going to be hard to go back to Fall River and see that. At least before one could imagine where the Bowen/Miller house stood. Now even that is lost. Drat!

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:05 pm

Do architects poll the public as their preferences? Most of us seem to agree that it hurts our eyes to just look at the new courthouse complex, but we may represent some sort of Victorian purist minority. If the public at large feels generally the same as we do, maybe the architectural community needs to be made aware of it. I expect apathy would probably win the day, most folks probably don't care one way or the other, but how many people actually find the building attractive as opposed to repulsive? It might be interesting to know that.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 1:24 pm

Looking good on the Fourth on Old Second Street-

New Second Street is another matter with the Diggers and Fillers and Monument Builders