Adding On

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Michael R. Allen

by Michael R. Allen

Creative preservation on Main Street in Imperial, Missouri.

The parapet of the one-story commercial building gasps out its date of construction, 1918, as the old building heaves under its new addition. What can one say about this project? At least the owners saved the existing building. At least the owners traced the contours of the historic building’s front parapet end blocks and pediment, and its stepped side parapets. Why, the only parts of the original building that are covered up are the roof and the rear wall!

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  • http://twitter.com/frusaurus Will Fru

     Reminds me of this regal gem in North Hampton:  http://g.co/maps/kzxys

  • Eric

    Adding on to a historical house is great. I have seen great examples in Chicago.

    But this is hideous. The siding is gross.

  • bonwich

    Hey Michael — I think the restaurant on the same street (which might be visible to the left in your picture) did the same thing to what was once an early 20th Century tavern.

  • Tgt123

    Actually, the second floor addition has been there for at least 15 years, and it was seriously damaged by a fire earlier this year.  Fortunately, the owners decided to repair the existing structure rather than demolish it and replace it with some styro-stucco monstrosity.  I always thought the addition looked a bit hokey, but at least the original structure is still intact.

  • Eric

    Tgt123,Agreed