Would You Be Mine? Could You Be Mine? Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
The view out my studio windows isn’t beautiful - on one side is a sheetmetal fabrication business and on the other side is a bail bondsman. Across the street is an attorney’s office in a very modest little house and behind me is a tiny house where a couple lived with their FIVE white pit bulls until they were “invited” to leave.
I keep my doors locked and most of the people who walk down the street aren’t the type that I would have a casual conversation with….but I like my neighborhood. In fact, it’s an old Huntsville neighborhood that has tons of history.
The Kildare McCormick Mansion is a couple of blocks away dwarfing the business and homes surrounding it. My husband and I toured the 17,000 square feet and 40 rooms while it was on the market a few years ago. It was a fairy tale house to me….and a nightmare to him! It is AMAZING inside and begs to be restored but the expense to do it would be staggering. It was built in 1886 and at this time is owned by an individual who is causes quite a ruckus when people slow down to look at the house or photograph. She sprays cars with the water hose, screams, takes photos with her cell phone. I’d say she needs a larger NO TRESPASSING sign!!
Only a block away is the Lowry House. Built in 1836, it is also on Kildare Street and was part of a farm that was on Meridian Pike at that time. It was purchased by Louie Tippett in an effort to preserve it and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The house and grounds are beautifully cared for and used for events.
Around the corner on Meridian Street is a vacant building that I’m fascinated by. The Lincoln School building was built in 1929 and is also on the National Register of Historic Places. It was full of schools kids till last year but due to school consolidations, it’s now listed for sale at $750,000. Not a bad price!! It’s on a great old Huntsville street and has wonderful potential….
Next door, also on Meridian Street, is the Renaissance Theater and Antique Store. Some fun antique auctions are held periodically in this building too. It’s a great addition to the neighborhood.
And last but not least….the restoration of Lincoln Mill continues and is exciting to watch.
This isn’t a great photo - it’s MUCH more interesting than this. The building was unused for years then a former owner spent 20 years renovating the building, doing the work almost singlehanded. It was an awesome undertaking. He sold it a few years ago and steady progress has continued - people now live in the mill, business have moved in, and there are more plans under way. It has been very exciting to watch - the developers have done some fun stuff, unexpected stuff, and have great ideas. I hope they have continued success.
In the short time I’ve been in my Oakwood studio, the neighborhood has improved and I’ve come to appreciate it in a way I never expected. When we think of historic neighborhoods, manicured lawns and historic district signs are the first to come to mind but we shouldn’t stop there. Our history is on our side streets and dingy alleys too. The parts of our towns where people have lived and worked for years is where we find our true history - it’s where the stories are.
Yep, I love my Lincoln Mill Village area and the gritty old business districts of Oakwood Avenue and Meridian Street. It’s a good place to be.
