Friday, September 7, 2012

This Teardown Should Break Some Hearts Pt. 1

It was designed by David Smith Cuttino, Jr. (1905 -1973). Completed in 1940-41 this was one of the very first ranch houses - as we've come to know them - in Georgia.

See "Teardown Heartbreaker Pt. 2 - Floorplan and Before Pictures."

While the proposed demolition of the 82 year old Randolph-Lucas house on Peachtree makes news, it's too late for this 72 year old ranch.


1790 Lenox Road was a neighborhood landmark, low slung with an orange tint. It seemed a bit too small for its acre-plus hilltop. But I don't think every hill needs a mansion.

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The Cuttino house sat proudly on the biggest yard in Lenox Park. If you could drive by and not dread mowing it, you are a better person than I am.

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Those shingles had texture galore.

"He maintained the informal rustic quality of the California Ranch in his design..." - The Ranch House in Georgia.

Though it hadn't looked its very best in a while, the yard was always mowed. I thought it would always be there.

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It was a terminated vista for West Sussex. It had "The Wall," nothing else like it in Atlanta.

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By the time I noticed, it was too late to get decent pictures.

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By some great fortune, Patrick Kennedy spotted my teardown pictures in Flickr.

"Members of our firm [New South Associates] (we are a preservation and archeology consulting company) and the State Historic Preservation Office (HPD) did an informal survey of the house a few months ago when it was on the market. We took photographs and did a drawing of the floor plan ... . I had a feeling at the time that it wouldn't make it. Its a shame..." - Patrick

Thanks to Patrick, New South Associates, Dr. Richard Cloues, and the State of Georgia I have the floor plan and some pictures to show you, but it's going to be sad.



6 comments:

  1. What a colossal waste, even being torn down, the brick and shingles could be put to good use and some of the interior I am sure. and so many homeless and folks loosing their homes. Did the wall go too?

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  2. The wall stays and will be restored. It's in very fine condition and it doing it's retaining wall job.

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  3. I love the millstone in that wall, plus all the texture. Linda is right about reusing much of this or something but we don't respect our history in Atlanta.

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  4. That's a real shame... It is breaking my heart to think of that roof in a dumpster.

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  5. This is already a preservation loss but I think it'll really be regretted years from now when people realize the value of WWII era+ buildings. Happy to see the wall will hold back dirt for decades to come, though. Such an impressive piece of stonework!

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  6. Add me to the outcry at the waste. This was no junky late 70s cedar ranch thrown up in a hurry during a housing boom (as describes my house by the way), but one of substance. I have always wondered why there was no more salvage interest in these houses than we have seen.

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