Buffalo Rising Online

Nov 9th 2007, 5:13pm By Chris Brown

Nearly 30 years ago, the western boundary of the Allentown Historic Preservation District was drawn, creating an invisible zig-zagged line where some blocks of a particular street are included within the boundary while others are not. Even though the demarcation lines on a map are clearly drawn, in the real world, neighborhood boundaries are not so clear-cut.

On Nov. 16 at 10:30 AM, a residential block adjacent to Allentown will be celebrated with a welcoming ceremony for Lorilee L. Greene and her daughter who moved into their “new” home, a nineteenth century house completely renovated as part of the Plymouth Avenue Reclamation Project overseen by Heart of the City Neighborhoods, Inc.

Lorilee is moving to the first block of Plymouth Avenue from an apartment she rented nearby on Normal Avenue near Pennsylvania Street across from Kleinhans Music Hall. Lorilee is connected to the neighborhood in another way: her sister Kim lives just a few steps away on Days Park at the corner of Cottage Street.

Lorilee’s picturesque Victorian house at 23 Plymouth Avenue was constructed in 1872 by builder John Cook and incorporates the architectural elements of yesteryear. The two-story wooden house features a first-story bay window, wide eaves and a gable decorated with dentils and scroll-saw cut brackets. The home’s L-shaped frame incorporates a side entrance that provides an elegant way to provide privacy in an urban environment; it works as well today as it did when the house was first completed 135 years ago.

In 1872, its builder boasted that 23 Plymouth Ave. was "well-built," and in a "splendid" neighborhood. He sold the house for $3,500 to James H. Rodebaugh, a grain and mill feed shipping businessman. After Rodebaugh left 23 Plymouth Avenue, several others called it home, but its longest-term owner was Norman McLeod and his wife Blanche, who lived there for over 50 years from the 1890s through the 1940s.

If the ghost of McLeod, who was an interior decorator, haunts 23 Plymouth Avenue, he must have looked on disapprovingly as he watched the house decay in the years following his death until it was completely abandoned by the early 1990s. For the next 15 years, the house sat vacant and neglected, with only the sturdy craftsmanship of its original builder giving it any chance to be rescued from certain destruction. In 1999 the house was purchased by a neighborhood resident who worked with Heart of the City Neighborhoods to plan for its renovation.

Work began on the house in earnest during late autumn 2006. First, the roof was stabilized and re-shingled and then an architecturally complementary porch was constructed. The house's deep-set eaves and decorative Victorian brackets were retained, yet modern conveniences have been introduced such as new windows, heating and plumbing systems, drywall and insulation. Exterior siding was used that imitates wooden clapboards, an improvement over the asphalt and mineral-fiber asbestos siding that was previously installed in the 1970s.

With 2,000 square feet of living space, the interior includes a parlor, dining room, kitchen and first-floor bathroom, all with tall ceilings. A winding staircase with decorative molding leads to the second floor. Four bedrooms, a laundry room and another bathroom are found there.

When the renovation of 23 Plymouth Avenue was completed in the summer of 2007, its curb appeal, with a lovely Kentucky Coffee tree in front, resulted in over a dozen people expressing an interest to purchase it. The completion of the renovation was perfectly timed. The block, located between Hudson and Pennsylvania Streets, looked especially appealing during the summer, when several homes there received a fresh coat of paint, courtesy of Brush-Up Buffalo and six trees were planted with the help of community volunteers and Re-Tree WNY. Other beautification initiatives were undertaken including the installation of a new “Welcome to Allentown” sign, new flower planters and landscaping in front of homes. The long-awaited renovation of a fire-damaged house located at 34 Plymouth Avenue also began in the summer, a welcome privately-funded improvement to the block.

Because grant money was used to renovate 23 Plymouth Avenue, some of the interested parties were not qualified because they did not meet stringent maximum income guidelines: 1 person 32,650; 2 people $37,300; 3 people $42,00, 4 people $ 46,650; or 5 people $50,400.

Fortunately for both Lorilee and the community, she was able to purchase the house and complete the nearly decade-long transformation from vacant to owner-occupied home.

Besides being a welcoming ceremony for Lorilee, the Nov. 16 event also welcomes Heart of the City Neighborhoods’ new Executive Director Stephanie J. Simeon. Talented, energetic and capable, Stephanie is currently working on Heart of the City Neighborhoods’ new housing initiative, a plan to build eight residential units near the corner of Plymouth Avenue and Hudson Street on the site of the former Sidway Mansion.

Adding to the excitement, several other area housing development projects are on the drawing board. The Allentown Association is working to redevelop School 36, with its footprint on Hudson Street, Cottage Street and Days Park, into residential housing after it is shuttered, planned for 2009.

The goals of The Plymouth Avenue Reclamation Project, a public/private partnership to improve the quality of life and housing of the formerly blighted first block of Plymouth Avenue without displacing existing residents, has been highly successful and is a true testament of the power of teamwork, passion and communication.

For more information about Heart of the City Neighborhoods, Inc., contact Stephanie Simeon at 716-882-7661 or heartofthecity@verizon.net. For information on the Kleinhans Community Association, visit the website at www.kleinhansca.org.

Please attend Heart of the City Neighborhoods’ Welcoming Ceremony on Fri. Nov. 16, 10:30 AM at 23 Plymouth Avenue and meet Lorilee Greene & Stephanie Simeon. Take the time to learn more about Heart of the City Neighborhoods and the wonderful work that is taking place on the first block of Plymouth Avenue. Refreshments will be served.