The Kestenbaum's workers began demolishing La Ronda at 8:00 a.m. this morning. Wasting no time, they ripped into the walls of the 80-year old National Register - eligible mansion with alarming speed and blithe regard for the impact of their actions. By week's end, the house will be gone. The deafening sound of cracking timbers and crumbling masonry could be heard above the din of news helicopters flying overhead.
Heartbreaking. As a Philadelphia area resident, I can tell you this has been a popular topic at cocktail parties the last few months. Sadly it's going to be replaced with yet another tasteless McMansion, the last thing this area needs. Total disregard for the community and our environment.
ReplyDeleteTruly sad, a complete lack of appreciation for what can not be replaced.
ReplyDeleteJanell
I must say that the individual(s) responsible for building the future McMansion has balls of steel. I would be humiliated to destroy a building with such history & prestige. Shame on them.
ReplyDeleteThat's terrible!
ReplyDeleteThey should be shot.....
ReplyDeleteUnless you've been educated to appreciate history we live in times of distruction. People vandalize, toss away, and damage with no reguard on the impact. It's sad and I always have hope that when we know better we do better. Situations like this are a persons self fullfillment in naricissism. Not the greatest example to leave.
ReplyDeleteBette
Criminal!
ReplyDeletethis would never happen in florida.
ReplyDeletemizner is 'king' here!!
xx
what a shame all the protests were unable to change the outcome. so devstating!
ReplyDeleteOh, no Ronda, this is so sad to hear. An irreplaceable monument.
ReplyDeleteWow. That is sad. That is really all I can say. Wouldn't it be great to have the cash to have purchased and fixed up to its deserving finish?
ReplyDeleteWere any salvage companies given access before the demolition? www.artefactdesignsalvage.com/
ReplyDeleteor Omega salvage go everywhere to save bits of history. Please tell me its not all going to dust! Trish
so sad is right. i will never understand tearing down amazing architecture to build who knows what...
ReplyDeleteThat's terrible - it's always such a shame when a great old building is torn down. It happened to our town just across the street from us - so sad to see one of our town's great buildings gone.
ReplyDeleteThis is a crime, truly. Such sad news. Thank you for breaking it to us gently. It's important the design community know about these things so we can fight to prevent it from occurring again to another historic building in the future.
ReplyDeleteXX Kate "the NEO-trad"
Adieu to a Lost Beauty.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you gave it some permanence with the images you've posted. Preservation should be taught in all of our homes and schools.
Ouch. This is so sad.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend that was set to buy a house in Palo Alto. She was making plans to change / update the house when she realized she was making too many changes - altering the nature and design of the house too much - ruining it really. So, instead she bought another house and left the first for another who would appreciate its style more than she did.
I am so sad and I've never even heard of this house.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happened in Memphis before I moved. They tore down a VERY old church to make way for a Chick Fil A...so sad
It breaks my heart!
ReplyDeleteDemolition of history is always so sad!!
ReplyDeleteThat is so disgusting! I don't think there is any good karma coming to the new owner. Pure WASTEfulness and to not even sell the house to someone else to move. All the money in the world can't buy taste or appreciation.
ReplyDeleteWhat a horrible waste. I suppose it's safe to assume the new mansion will NOT meet any kind of sustainable standard, either? So first they destroy a piece of history, next they dump all the building materials into a landfill, and third they build some energy guzzling mansion large enough to shelter an entire 3rd world village? It's just not right.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe the city allowed a beautiful piece of history to be torn down...just doesn't seem right. I thought we were trying to save our history for our future...so sad :(
ReplyDeleteThis is outrageous... it beats Gourmet mag sadness. Cheers to you for bringing awareness to her plight and for trying all your best! It's such a shame.
ReplyDelete