Letter to the Editor

Historical home

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Dear Editor,

In 1899, a gentleman by the name of Henry Barbazette purchased two lots in the budding town of McCook, Nebraska. Mr. Barbazette was married and was the owner of a fine furniture store two blocks away from his lots on Main Street.

He proceeded to build one of the largest, finest homes in this little prairie town, a two story mansion with a huge wrap-around porch, two sunrooms and parquet wood floors. It was a Victorian masterpiece at a time when the Victorian style was just beginning to wane.

Situated on a corner lot, it is not only recognized in early photographs but also in one of the very early pencil drawings of McCooks' beginning as the center for commerce for Southwest Nebraska. Its circle drive and carriage house was clearly delineated on the map. Until the early 1990s, nearly 100 years later, the home still contained some of the original furniture from Mr. Barbazette's store.

The home remained in the family, with a relative converting it to apartments during Prohibition, complete with a still in the basement, according to the building inspector of the time, for nearly 70 years, and then, as all property does, it passed on to a different owner who kept it for another 20 years until its sale in 1993.

Until the following century (2000), each owner kept the property in fairly good shape and as a fact, as late as 2004, though not in perfect shape, the home was still holding up fairly well for a property that had, at the end, landed in the hands of incompetent and greedy owners as has happened to other historical buildings in our town.

It is no worse shape than the old YMCA was in when it was converted to apartments, no worse shape than the Keystone Hotel or the band shell at Norris Park is in today, in fact, there are numerous properties in McCook with far less historical value, in just as poor condition, that are not on the list to spend all that FREE money the CITY has to be torn down.

One hundred and 10 years old, the building deserves more respect than is being afforded to it. Some of the other properties on the City's tear-down list were junk or fire damaged for nearly 20 years before anyone even attempted to remedy the problem.

I am not sure what the city thinks is going to go up in place of this piece of our history, but you can rest assured that it won't be the masterpiece this home was nor even close to its potential for restoration. The neighborhood that it sits in will not support any huge expenditure in a new building because the average value of a home in that neighborhood is under $ 60,000, which is probably a third of what it would take to build a new home on that lot. I suppose the lot could end up with an ugly duplex the like of which showed up farther east of it, a sad testimony to what this town's values are and its history is not high on the list.

We can only hope that in some shape or form the Keystone Hotel is salvaged or we will once again find another building following the path of the home at 301 E. Second Street. There is a collective shame in turning our backs on historic buildings.

Susan Doak,

McCook

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  • Go to the County Assessor's website at http://redwillow.gisworkshop.com/RedWillowIMS/servlet/Report?pid=000714200.

    The property is assessed under $18,000 and that includes the alley house. It was purchased 2 1/2 years ago for less than $3,000. $3,000!!! There's absolutely no reason why this property should not already have significant improvements made or at least being made already. The balcony is coming away from the rest of the house. I'm sure the people in the neighborhood would have something to say if it falls while one of their children are playing nearby. It truly is a shame that the owners of this property let it get into the sad shape it's in now. However, we can't ignore safety in the name of history.

    -- Posted by McCook1 on Wed, Feb 18, 2009, at 12:29 PM
  • Historical or not, it's run down and unfortunately the current owner's really didn't care about refurbishing it. Sometimes, we have to just let go and start over even though it might be historical or sentimental to others.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Wed, Feb 18, 2009, at 1:16 PM
  • What does the inside look like? Is there anything that could be salvaged and reused in one of the older McCook homes? When it is torn down where does all the material end up. Hopefully not in some "fly by night" contractor's valley as has possibly been done in the past.

    -- Posted by Pigman1 on Wed, Feb 18, 2009, at 2:38 PM
  • Good idea Pigman. Have a contractor go in first and lay out everything that can be salvaged. Have the City perform an auction on those goods. That would help offset the cost of demo. Not bad plus is recycles.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Wed, Feb 18, 2009, at 3:41 PM
  • The lack of interest and contempt for historical things by some of the people around here is a sad thing! The priority that was given to tearing the historical house down at 301 east 2nd is amazing!!

    Why the big rush? If its a question of safety as another person wrote on here, then tear the balcony off and let the rest stand for a while. Or maybe fence it off for a while. Give the place a chance to be advertised and be sold!!!The old convent and the Cornerstone church were sold to people from out of state and are being made into homes. I'm sure that if the right people found out about this place they would appreciate it for it's historical value and potential beauty and make it into a great home. Come on folks,let's give it a little time and save some of our local history!!

    -- Posted by mc Historybuff on Wed, Feb 18, 2009, at 8:59 PM
  • Thank you so much Sue for giving the Barbazette house the standing ovation that it deserves. It's been painful to watch it go downhill these past few years. Your history of the house was right on...Ray Search would be proud of you! That house and the one that used to stand right north of it were two of my favorite homes in McCook. I featured the postcard of the Barbazette house when it was new in one of my columns years ago...what a beauty. I watch houses in such states of disrepair on HG tv get makeovers by hard working couples who love the beauty of good hardwood, rounded porches, lovely staircases and windows that still let summer breezes go through. Could such a couple still appear? I hope so for the sake of one of the most beautiful homes ever built in the city.In any case, thank you Sue! Linda

    -- Posted by ImissMcCook on Wed, Feb 18, 2009, at 9:24 PM
  • This is all in good faith however where were these supporters over the last few years driving by every day seeing the house become dilapitated? Why didn't they speak up then insted of waiting until the City took action to condemn? We are a society of procrastinators and wait until it's too late to fight for a cause. If you are really concerned, become activists and help the community now instead of waiting. For this old house, the best we can do is hope that the City would allow an auction of items that can be preserved and place it in a better environment.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Thu, Feb 19, 2009, at 8:53 AM
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