Cherry Street Recycle/Reuse

[mrB]

Property aquisition continues in the Cherry Street area for Loft development. I was at the carwash on Cherry Street this morning [Thurs] and noticed a crew pulling a house off a lot on the 1400 block of S Trenton. I decided to follow the house move. It was a short trip.

The move started on the 1400 block on S Trenton Ave and ended on the 1300 block of S Quaker Ave. Follow the journey with this Flickr slideshow. I only had my cell phone for photos, but they turned out ok.

I was intrigued by the short move and asked around the group of onlookers on S Quaker. I was able to talk to the home's owner. He had been approached to sell the property on S Trenton for Loft development. However, he had recently finished some extensive remodeling of the home. He didn't want all his hard work to go by way of a bull dozer, so the offer was made to move it.

The owner was able to find a lot on the 1300 block of S Quaker and the move was completed. I know we all have seen and heard of this process before. But most the time you never know where the houses end up. And most of the time the houses are sold to new owners. I thought this was pretty cool, moving your house over a few blocks. It even went from an easterly orientation to a westerly view!

[booWorld]

Thank you for posting this documentation, mrB.

I'd like to see more houses moved intact rather than demolished and moved to landfills.  It's a shame that so many of Tulsa's historic homes have been lost forever rather than moved to other neighborhoods.

One of the oldest houses in Tulsa was moved to my neighborhood about 1909 or 1910.  It was George Perryman's family's home, built around 1886 on what was known then as High Hill south of Tulsa, which became 508 South Main Street after the townsite was platted in 1901.  The front of the house faced east toward Main Street then.  It has faced west at 1313 South Elwood Avenue for nearly a century now.

[pmcalk]

I am not an expert, but I have heard that houses that are moved don't do too well.  Unlike mobile homes, they aren't meant to be removed from the ground, dragged accross town, and put back down.  From what I understand, most end up with major foundation problems, and start falling apart after a few years.

I am curious if anyone has much experience with a house that has been moved, and how well it has lasted.

[Rico]

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

I am not an expert, but I have heard that houses that are moved don't do too well.  Unlike mobile homes, they aren't meant to be removed from the ground, dragged accross town, and put back down.  From what I understand, most end up with major foundation problems, and start falling apart after a few years.

I am curious if anyone has much experience with a house that has been moved, and how well it has lasted.

You got some bad info pm.........

There are several that were moved that are now in Riverview...

If they were not pointed out you would think they had always been there...
I believe the "National Trust Inventory" of the Riverview area will detail them.... At least I imagine that would be an important notable element worthy of mention.
[}:)]

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

From what I understand, most end up with major foundation problems, and start falling apart after a few years.

So the one part they don't move breaks down?

[booWorld]

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

I am curious if anyone has much experience with a house that has been moved, and how well it has lasted.

Houses were and are routinely moved.  If the new foundation is properly designed, they can last for decades in their new locations.

The major portion of the house at 1313 S Elwood Avenue has been there for nearly 100 years.  A wing was built on the north side a few years ago, but the original house is about 122 years old.  The house stood at 508 S Main Street for approximately 24 years.  It was divided into sections around 1909, and the larger portion was moved to South Elwood.

[Double A]

quote:Originally posted by Rico

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

I am not an expert, but I have heard that houses that are moved don't do too well.  Unlike mobile homes, they aren't meant to be removed from the ground, dragged accross town, and put back down.  From what I understand, most end up with major foundation problems, and start falling apart after a few years.

I am curious if anyone has much experience with a house that has been moved, and how well it has lasted.

You got some bad info pm.........

There are several that were moved that are now in Riverview...

If they were not pointed out you would think they had always been there...
I believe the "National Trust Inventory" of the Riverview area will detail them.... At least I imagine that would be an important notable element worthy of mention.
[}:)]

Didn't one of the houses set to be demolished to make way for the Arvest at 15th and Utica get saved at the last minute and moved to Owen Park?

[cdowni]

that is great thing for the developers to do! i wish more developers would think like that.

[booWorld]

quote:Originally posted by booWorld

Houses were and are routinely moved.

But it's important to plan the route with care....

[pmcalk]

quote:Originally posted by booWorld

quote:Originally posted by booWorld

Houses were and are routinely moved.

But it's important to plan the route with care....

That might be the crux of the matter.  Perhaps the experience of the person who told me moving houses doesn't work has been with people who didn't do it right.  Again, I am no expert, but my guess is that quite a lot can go wrong while moving a house, much of which can result in irreparable harm.  I know it is a better choice than demolishing the house.  Still, I would have rather seen them hauling off the car wash than another house.  Or better still, building on a surface lot, and leaving the house there.

[tulsa1603]

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

I am not an expert, but I have heard that houses that are moved don't do too well.  Unlike mobile homes, they aren't meant to be removed from the ground, dragged accross town, and put back down.  From what I understand, most end up with major foundation problems, and start falling apart after a few years.

I am curious if anyone has much experience with a house that has been moved, and how well it has lasted.

I worked on a project where we had to move a house.  I dealt with Hausner (sp?) and sons.  The guy is ancient, like 85-90 years old I'm guessing.  Anyway, I asked him the same thing, "Doesn't this tear a house up?"  He told me that they place the house on rigid steel beams that are more sound than the house's actual foundation, then they move it to it's new site and foundation, and the new foundation is almost always going to be superior to the old.. Once in place, any cracks or damage (and he assured me this was rare) that happened during the move can be fixed, and voila, you have a house that will actually be better than it was before, with the added benefit of new plumbing and revamped electrical in most cases.  I agree it's a win/win.  In our case, the owner had an entire house removed from his property for only $2,000 vs. $9,000 for demolition, and the housemover got a "free" house.

[RecycleMichael]

I would trust rico on knowing how to move and reset houses.

[booWorld]

quote:Originally posted by Rico

There are several that were moved that are now in Riverview...

If they were not pointed out you would think they had always been there...
I believe the "National Trust Inventory" of the Riverview area will detail them.... At least I imagine that would be an important notable element worthy of mention.
[}:)]

Do you know where the National Trust Inventory is?  Online?

Besides the former Perryman house I mentioned at 1313 S Elwood which was moved there from 508 S Main around 1909 or so, do you know specifics on the other relocated homes in Riverview?

The house on the northwest corner of 14th and Carson was moved there within the past 15 years or so from the 1300 block of S Cheyenne.  It faced east at both locations.

[Rico]

quote:Originally posted by booWorld

quote:Originally posted by Rico

There are several that were moved that are now in Riverview...

If they were not pointed out you would think they had always been there...
I believe the "National Trust Inventory" of the Riverview area will detail them.... At least I imagine that would be an important notable element worthy of mention.
[}:)]

Do you know where the National Trust Inventory is?  Online?

Besides the former Perryman house I mentioned at 1313 S Elwood which was moved there from 508 S Main around 1909 or so, do you know specifics on the other relocated homes in Riverview?

The house on the northwest corner of 14th and Carson was moved there within the past 15 years or so from the 1300 block of S Cheyenne.  It faced east at both locations.

Sorry... I don't know the location of the inventory on line.

Carlton Place would have a much better grasp as to the "inventory" as I know the Association would at least have one copy.

There was some discussion regarding this same issue in this thread.

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7884


The only other thing I can add to this is the "old timer" house movers have told me stories of moving several homes from where the Mayo now is.

I have spoken with one long time homeowner that has verified this, as their home was one of the ones moved....

Quite a tale really...... Raised on wooden beams the length of telephone poles and pulled by a team of horses or so the tale goes..

[booWorld]

I've heard similar tales, including one involved moving an 1870s Italianate style house by mule team (in another town).  The owner insisted on leaving her furniture including fully loaded china cabinets in the house so the movers would be extremely careful.