119 Year Old Home In Prince William County, VA Should Be Rescued!

December 23, 2019

#345

Gentle reader,

Below are photographs I made of a home built in 1901, almost 119 years ago.

From Prince William County, Virginia property records, according to Realtor.com:

Property Overview - XXXXXXX Manassas, VA 20112 is a single family home built in 1901. This property was last sold for $1,250,000 in 2008 and currently has an estimated value of $711,500. The median sales price for the Independent Hill area is $567,500. The $711,500 estimated value is 48.54% greater than the median listing price of $479,000 for the Independent Hill area.

According to the Manassas public records, the property at XXXXXXX Manassas, VA 20112 has approximately 2,012 square feet, 4 beds and 1 bath with a lot size of 9.24 acres. Nearby schools include Coles Elementary School, Louise A. Benton Middle School and Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School. 

The property was once a small farm on XXXXXXX. Now, Rt. XXX is a major divided highway.  

There was a proposal in 2011 to convert the land to business use. 

Every time we see the place, I think, "I want to save that place. I want us to live in it!"

The story goes that the owners of the property do not want to, or may be forbidden from, destroying the house.

I have been told the house is available for the tidy sum of $1.00. But, the house MUST be moved from the property.

An old, inexpensive, stereo console adorns the front porch. You can see the weather has destroyed even the cones of the speakers.

It is unlikely these electronics will ever produce sound again. Morse, the maker, was never known for high quality, so it is not much of a loss to the world.

There is a bay window on the front and both sides. These two images show the right side (from the street).

The good news is the siding has been replaced, or at least covered over. 

The potential bad news is there may be asbestos shingles beneath this siding. 

The style, decorations and general quality of construction bodes well for the possibility of the house being able to be MOVED.

The metal roof, likely steel since I don't think tin actually rusts, is probably original. It can be cleaned and repainted.

Every doorway has it's own roof over it. Sadly, some windows have been broken so rain/snow has entered the house for years.

Someone has removed the plywood that once sealed the back door. 

You can see the diagonal wood used over the studs. Plywood was not invented yet when the house was built. 

I would not enter the house. It is private property and marked no trespassing.

Plus, no doubt some wild things may be enjoying living inside. 

Each of the peaks of the roof is adorned with decorative shingles. Almost Victorian in look.

I had to use a wide angle lens to capture this side. As I wrote, all doorways are covered by their own roof.

Having a metal roof on our house, we have found snow stops have earned their name. With the individual roofs, so cascading (more like an avalanche) snow from the main roof would not land on the unsuspecting below.

Speaking of roofs, this Black Vulture landed on the chimney as I was making my way back to the car.

Some consider them a bad omen. Someone pointed out to me that they and others of their kind, perform an important role in nature. 

So perhaps he is rooting for this house to be saved. I certainly hope so.

I have been told that buying land, preparing the land building a new foundation AND moving the house will cost over $100,000.

Of course, were it me, and I pray it could be, the house will need to be completely restored once in place.

So there is that extra cost. One bathroom? Think, new: plumbing, wiring, central heat/air conditioning, drywall, flooring, windows and doors, trim, paint, kitchen and so much more.

I have written this to send word out with hope that someone that has the ability to SAVE this historical home will see it.

It cries out to have a family live, grow and love within it's walls and under it's roof.

Please share a link of this article. We pray someone out there will see it and act to save this place.

Thanks!

Scott and Nancy

December 23, 2019

#345

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year