Westcott House

One of the fascinating parts of architectural history is just how many of Frank Lloyd Wright's houses have fallen into ruin or disrepair, and that some of his largest projects have been completely torn down. (The Larkin building will get its own entry at some point, once I get over to Buffalo to photograph the sad remaining single relic of its existence.)

Westcott House was one of these. In 2005, the restoration of this house was completed and the house opened to the public. My husband and I visited not long after it opened, being stunned to find out there was a Wright prairie-style house just 45 minutes from Columbus. It is, in fact, the only one of its kind in Ohio. Springfield, it turns out, was once a booming industry town.



What had happened to the house since it was completed in 1908 is sadly not unique amongst Wright houses: The fortunes of the family that built it declined, and it had to be sold. By the late 40s it had been subdivided into apartments, its identity as a Wright house (and a close contemporary of the masterful Martin House, itself a ruin for a time) obscured. A supporting beam on a lower level that was "in the way" was also removed. It was replaced during the restoration, but one can still see the signs on the second floor of the resulting sag that was introduced.

Amazingly, the house was acquired for restoration in 2000 and opened to the public in 2005. My husband and I visited almost exactly four years ago. As a result, I always associate the house with Christmas.

Ghost Train Stations

Interesting article in the New York Times today (with pictures) of three former train stations (aboveground) in the Bronx. You can read it here.

It's interesting to look at the different fates of the three stations in the article. One is derelict. Another is a gun club. The third is a small strip mall.

I'm familiar with two train stations that were abandoned, then reclaimed. In Columbus, OH there is a very nifty train station that now serves as a fire station.

I remember this particular building when it used to be a Volunteers of America office and was pretty much crumbling.


Unfortunately, the only thing left of Columbus' main train station is the Union Station Arch:




The other reclaimed train station is in Toronto. It was once the Summerhill CP station and is now an LCBO store (and a particularly good one--this where they keep all of the expensive scotch):



Apparently the tower is modeled after the Campanile di San Marco in Venice. It closed shortly after WWII and remained boarded up until its reopening in 2004. Wikipedia tells us over 4,000 lbs of pigeon droppings had to be removed when the restoration was undertaken.