The move was as much fun as an architecture tourist can have. In the process the movers, contractors, developers, and sidewalk superintendents felt an unexpected camaraderie. We were all smiles at the end and the good cheer has lasted me for 36 hours.
Why'd they move it? Why didn't they just tear it down?
It's the only house on that side of the block but I doubt many noticed.
Folks lived there up until about a year ago; Google street view still has a picture. Real estate sites say it's 1,080 square feet, built in 1920. The "1920" is probably wrong.
It's cute but it was in the way, almost a victim of the Atlanta BeltLine which made the development of Krog Street Market possible. For you non-Atlantans: The BeltLine is really big deal.
In most circumstance they'd have torn it down. Instead, it's a great preservation story.
That's because it's in Inman Park and Inman Park is strong and strict. And it's because folks are more preservation minded these days. Aren't they?
It was in the way, smack in the middle of the space. The "Inman Park overlay Historic District" said they couldn't mess with it.
Then at a meeting of developers and city planners someone wondered, "Can we move it?"
They laid foundations at the corner of Lake Street and Waddell.
They hired Roy Bishop House Movers from Stockbridge and went to work.
This is what they had to do.
The fiddled and rocked and tweaked and brought it home.
This was "the man" John Kinard, owner of Roy Bishop House Movers. During the move he was calm, quiet and serious. When it was done, he smiled, chatted, iPhoned, and headed out to the next job.
He told me it is well built, that if they'd braced it wrong they'd have broken it in half. He said there was a hidden chimney and if they hadn't found it and braced it properly it might have been trouble.
The Paces Properties folks were certainly happy, another milestone on the way to opening Krog Street Market.
Now for some TLC.
The is the corner of Lake and Weddell before, thanks to Google street view.
The cottage at its now home looking fine, it went from invisible to anchor.
I took way too many pictures and videos of the move.
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