19 Green Street

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:18 pm

A visit to Fairhaven on Friday revealed the state of the Brownell House to be much further deteriorated than I had thought. Now numbered 132, the staircase is gone totally at the front entrance, the back porch is filled with trash and rubbish. The hand rail has fallen off, the porch is sagging, and vegetation is rampant, particularly bright orange trumpet vine and brambles. I looked in the windows to see original shutters on the inside, and furnished ghostly rooms. It was all very sad to see. I took a series of black and white photos, which may be seen as a slide presentation here-
(click on View All Images.)

http://sanctaflora.wordpress.com/

It is always sad to say goodbye to a house full of memories.

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:01 am

Anything that we can do? Like if we all wrote letters or something?

Has anyone told the City of Fairhaven about the historical value of this house?

If it were a B and B I would surely want to stay the night.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:31 am

Thank you, Shelley, for the photos. It's always sad to see any house fall into such disrepair but naturally even worse when it involves a Borden-linked property.

Alas, it's future looks gloomy.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 7:03 am

The house is in such bad shape, it would take a lot of money to bring it back after so many years of neglect. Sadly, all around, other houses on the street are being spruced up. The sound of pounding hammers and clank of paint buckets was brisk, The beautiful Joshua Delano house right next door was getting some attention on Friday.

I had thought about a letter to the New Bedford Standard Times- an editorial maybe about the loss of buildings in the area which are of architectural or historic value.

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:55 pm

I'm a public official in the Town of Fairhaven, the Director of Tourism. My wife and I also publish a monthly magazine in town and I have written under the pen name "Mr. History Person" for many years now.

The town's building inspector and the town's health agent and at least one of the town's three Selectmen know the history of the house, I can assure you. I'm sure most of the members of the town's Historical Commission are aware of the situation as well.

The trouble is, gang, it's private property and no amount of letter writing or increased awareness will have any bearing on what happens there.

The town stepped in and condemned the property, removing the current owner. The animal control officer had to put on a haz-mat suit before entering. I hear that except for a leaky roof and the sagging porches, the house is not in really bad structural shape.

It might be fixed up and put up for sale by the owner(s) or those who are granted legal control. (I'm not certain of the ownership. The previous owner, Alexander Bruce, died a few years ago at the age of 95. One of his two sons was the last resident before the condemnation. Whether he inherited it, shares ownership with his younger brother, or what, I don't know.)

The town officials have done what they have the power to do. They can't simply take private property because the owner is neglecting it. We certainly cannot afford to take it and maintain it ourselves. We closed my daughter's elementary school this June. We certainly don't have the money to restore an old home just because it's a nice old home.

If you want to do something to save it, buying it when it gets put up for sale is about your only option, really.

Right now, in Fairhaven, there is the Joseph Bates Jr. boyhood home. Bates was the founder of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. His house has been purchased by the Adventist Heritage Ministry, the historical arm of the church. It is being restored and the property is open to the public.

We also have the Capt. William Whitfield house, where the first Japanese person to live in America, Manjiro Nakahams, was brought after being rescued in 1841 from an island in the Pacific. Current Japanese Emperor Akihito himself has visited Fairhaven and the Whitfield house was bought this year by a gentleman who is hoping to have the non-profit Manjiro Historic Friendship Society restore the house.

These are far more historically significant homes that the house of a local ship builder where a Fall River woman happened to be staying when her father and stepmother were murdered twenty miles away.

I know that you hold "everything Borden" close to your hearts, and I know it's sad to see an old home neglected, but writing letters to the newspaper or complaining to local governmental officials is pretty useless.

Chris

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:58 pm

PS: I was away in New Hampshire last week and the Visitors Center was closed, but next time you're in town, Shelley, please stop by 43 Center Street and say hello.

Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Chris

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:59 pm

Thanks for the story behind the story Chris. Do you know if the interior furnishings will be put up for auction? There are some nice old antiques which could net the owner some cash and which would be a shame to heave out. I can well believe the haz-mat suit, I waded literally in oceans of trash and rat poo just to get the photos.

Do you know when it will go on the auction block?

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:10 am

I don't know anything further about it than I've written so far. Some people at Town Hall might know a bit more, but there are issues of personal privacy involved.

I don't know when or if it might be put on the market. Obviously some work on the house could perhaps double the sale price of the home in that neighborhood.

And I'm sure there are already antiques dealers circling overhead. . .

When I hear anything, I'll let you know.

Chris

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:21 am

Well I am encouraged, Chirs, I thought the grand ole gal was headed for the wrecker's ball real soon. Otherwise I would not have been so bold as to stomp all around shooting photos!