The Observation Deck

In the Overlook Park area of Lakewoodcontains one of the nicest lots in the entire city, 1015 Nicholson. The home was originally built around 1918 by a shipping magnate, he positioned it where he could arrive by boat, and watch his boats on the lake. The original home was built two lots over a decade earlier, and his friends talked him into rebuilding on the point. The pink stucco was actually just a small two bedroom. One master and a master bathroom, and one servant room and bathroom.







Over 110 photos at: http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/photobl ... demolition

The basement, like many basements around the water's edge in Lakewood, had tunnels, and potentially a speakeasy. When the new owner bought it, it was to tear down, and build a home more suited to his lifestyle, and for years he had looked at rebuilding with more bedrooms, and better energy efficiency but also using many of the original items from the home. Especially some of the doors, tiles and fixtures.

I had a chance to walk through a couple days before the demolition was to start, over 7 months ago. At the same time I got my tour, some members of the Lakewood Historical Society stopped by to see if they could look around. During the walk through, the members pointed out many fascinating facts about some of the tiles, fixtures, roofing, rooms, plumbing, woodwork, etc.

They also pointed out that they were always looking for donations, and historical architectural fixtures they could sell at their sales, and that there are many great groups that would love a lot of what is left in the house. While the new owner doubted some of the values, by the end of the tour, he had a completely different understanding of what he owned, and how to best split up the booty. It was pretty funny, the fixture in the servants bathroom was worth $1,000. Hardwood floors, $30 a square foot, they would take them out! The tiles on the roof, and one of the members thought through it, were worth up to $1,000 each, with some of them worth $10,000 or more, depending on the marks on them. When I came back seven months later, it was good to see the roof stripped, the floors missing, and so much of the good stuff pulled, saved, sold, traded or given away! We held these photos back until the home was torn down because of the value of the items and the safe and secret rooms found buried!

So let's walk through, there is a total of 100 images, some here, all in the gallery. Relax, grab some coffee or a beer, and check out the house that was on the nicest lot in Lakewood. By the way, the new owner is excited to be in Lakewood, and would have loved to save the house, but there was no way.


You can see some of the detail work, some worth nothing, others worth a fortune!


You think nothing special, throw it out, you would be wrong. Always call the Historical Society first!



Let's go in.

Odd little details like the window were all over the house.


The tile work walking in. Some of the patterns in the tiles reappear in the fireplace. Also one of seven leaded glass doors that were saved.


Next to the glass doors was this door heading down into the basement.


Looking back to the front door.


A staircase upstairs.


To the north, a large living room.


A fireplace with custom tiles.




On the left a room added, the business room, behind the doors, the dining room, and looking back into the living room.




Dining room.


Basement steps.


First room at the bottom was a speakeasy.


The new owner with a safe that was found encased in concrete.


Master bedroom.




Servants room to hallway.




What $1,000 shower fixtures look like.




This is the ceiling of a secret room, the concrete on top is the garage floor. There were no supports between the two.


The view from the backyard.


By 2pm today, 02.24.2017 it was almost down.

Over 110 photos at: http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/photobl ... demolition

Support Lakewood Historical Society.

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just great photo's Jim, thanks for sharing.

I am so grateful that he was able to save much of it. I wish him luck with the project.

I am also grateful that this one appears to have been done legitimately, unlike some by Summers, but that is all I will say about that.

Lori Allen _ wrote:I am also grateful that this one appears to have been done legitimately, unlike some by Summers, but that is all I will say about that.

Please,

Lori, why in every thread, or so it seems?

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Jim,

Why has the Lakewood Observer been taken over by Mayor Summer's Deck Watchers.

I understand that you have been getting heat from all of them including, including Summers himself. Just voicing my opinions. I did not know that the Deck now sensors post.

Must this man have his hand in everything in Lakewood. What a shame.

Mr. Summers, please contact me at anytime. You appear to be chicken. As usual, you send other people to do your dirty work. Shame on you. Your a coward.

Summers, If I bother you so much, please feel free to skip over my posts.

Lori Allen _ wrote:Jim,

Summers, If I bother you so much, please feel free to skip over my posts.

No, I will move it to a new Lori section if it doesn't fit.

We do not censor, but I will clean up threads, and I have in the past, will in the future.

I have asked a very simple favor, if it doesn't fit with the post, do not post it there.

Again, I would be more than happy to create a section for you, to keep track of all of the information, make it easier to find.

Thank you for your understanding.

peace

I hope the owner saved all those beautiful doors with the crystal door knobs, even the stair case, the railings, the light fixtures. I wonder, why don't I see these demolition notices, before it's too late? I follow this thread like it's an obituary, which it is, except just for properties. But I'm never informed untill it's doomed.

Wow Jim!

Talk about double standards. It appears that women are only chastised here on the Deck, and not the men. Double standards? This subject has been brought up in discussions with several other women in the community who either don't post anymore, or rarely post. It has become something that resembles a middle school boy's locker room, with persons constantly monitoring and posting immediately after others, likely to appease the mayor.

There are a couple of posters here that appear to have an obsession with Trump and mention him in almost every post. That is fine, as it is their 1st Amendment rights. If I don't want to read it, I simply skip over it.

I hear you have been getting heat. I appear to be the only person that is not afraid of the Mayor. I call it as I see it. It appears that a few of the men that post here need to get over it.

I will continue to exercise my 1st Amendment rights. I suggest that those that dislike hearing it, without sugarcoating, just skip over it.

To get this thread back on track, I will come back later with some interesting facts about the house. Again, best of luck to the owner.

I just love old places like that, I enjoy the photos, the stories, all of it. That house has more character than any house I ever lived in, and may I say, in better condition. I don't know, everyone is different, everyone has different views, opinions, reason, but I can't imagine, there is nothing that can't be saved, (I'm talking public property) the cost is minimal compared with what goes in it's place. Dollar Tree? Really? I need to get out, I don't mind driving to Rocky River for toilet paper. Why not cry poverty, and help, someone will come by to help WITH FUNDS, in fact, I can't name one place, no building that was ever saved from demolition, and later, the public thought that it was a waste of time & money. NONE

Those beautiful old schools, just the bomb They should have saved the façade of "Lakewood High School". what was wrong with that? ALOMST 100 YEARS OF MEMORIES, the best iconic vision of what Lakewood is, the heart of Lakewood, a ridiculous waste of our assets. Can I be on some kind of board that has a vote on what to save and what to bury? With the public's approval, of course.

Can you imagine if "Bob's Big Boy" was still there? Miller's Restaurant? The Detroit Theater, the Hilliard Theater, the Bishoff's Decorating building, I get so angry. I can't control my emotions, best I close for now.

Lori Allen _ wrote:Wow Jim!

"likely to appease the mayor."

To get this thread back on track, I will come back later with some interesting facts about the house. Again, best of luck to the owner.

I am often accused of being a Mayor appeaser.


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jackie--- I'm thinking you're becoming the Soul of Lakewood. Stan

Well as I travel along Detroit and Madison Avenue, I see buildings where obviously there were other buildings directly next door, there gone, what did they look like, what happened to them? Were there that many destructive fires in Lakewood? I can only dream of what the avenues looked like back in the day, 1940's, 50's, building after building, practically attached to each other, now there are open spaces, bland modern structures, tacky 60's apartment buildings. Any one have pictures of the "old Lakewood"? Jim?

The Richard Hilliard Apartments on Madison Ave., what was demolished to build that apartment building? And between "Barrio's" and "Roxu" there was an old building there, what happen to it? Was it not as good as the apartment that stands there today? Anyone have pictures?

I don't know, just guessing, but back in the day, maybe 1880's to 1900, , didn't a lot of immigrants arrive from Italy, Germany, England and build our cities to resemble the towns they left? Bustling commercial districts with apartments up stairs, bakeries, butcher shops, eye wear, florists, clothing, salons, pubs, restaurants, penny candy stores? Isn't Crocker Park trying to replicate the look & feel of the old town? We had it, the real thing, now it's practically gone, that's what hurts so much. Kind of like decimating an old cemetery. How dare you.

I'm real sorry to say, but most of those condo's on eastern Detroit avenue are awful. They will fail like the hospital garage and offices they just tore down next to the Hospital. A mockery of somewhat "upscale public housing". McKinley Place, near West Clifton, terrible, what were they thinking? To quote a friend of mine, "like putting George Jetsons house in the middle of Fred Flintstone's "Bed Rock" neighborhood. idiots.

There is not the collective will to preserve here. I wish it existed, but it does not. We've torn down many of the most meaningful structures here. I have a hard time looking at historic photos of the city because the footnote so often reads, "torn down for the construction of __________________."