Hall

House at 1518 Lipscomb Street

In 2003, Southside Preservation Association took possession of the abandoned house at 1518 Lipscomb Street (across the street from Southside Preservation Hall). Currently the house is being restored -- check this page again for photos as the restoration continues. Plans currently include a second bathroom, a modern kitchen that is functional, but appropriate for an old house (no Swedish modern).....and a few other things.

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Ongoing Work (2006 - 2007) (photos by Sue McLean)
		July 2007: Removing sag from front porch.
	July 2007: 2nd front door returning to a window	July 2007: Removing sag from front porch.

	July 2007: Finishing part of the roof the roofers forgot to do

	April — May 2007: Rebuilding back wall, one of three doors removed.

	December 2006: Building skirting frames

	Roof and Siding in February 2006	Roof and Siding in November 2006

	Reframing front Porch, October 2006	Reframing front Porch, October 2006
This old porch is a big ol' red and white Herford bull Standin' under a mesquite tree in Agua Dulce, Texas He keeps on playin' hide and seek with that hot August sun Sweatin' and a pantin' cause his work is never done - Robert Earl Keen

	Work on front porch, 11/4/2006	Begin replacing columns on front porch , 11/19/2006

	Repairing Roof Rafters	Work on Interior

Text and Photos from May 2003

Home Tour Sign Our little cottage at 1518 Lipscomb has been on the Fairmount Tour of Historic Homes. This little house has been abandoned for over a decade and we boarded it up several years ago. Before that, it was wide open to the elements and the vagrants who called it home, and was nearly bulldozed twice.

Campfire The pier and beam foundation on the house was so dilapidated that it was dangerous to even go in….so we didn’t. Thanks to Ed Flores of Alamo Foundation, it is solid as a brick now. For Home Tour, we opened the boarded up door and let everyone see just what happens to an abandoned home, complete with the “indoor campfire”. Piles of abandoned clothing and debris filled the home.

Many people on tour did not think the house could be restored. These are exactly the people who we want to reach, we want to show that not only can these houses come back from the dead, but that they should be restored Good Attitude Grafitti rather than bulldozed. Over the next year, we will have the home open for “in progress” tours. Quite a few people saw the potential, and we heard numerous, wonderful restoration stories. So many of the gorgeous homes in the surrounding Fairmount neighborhood used to be in bad shape like our little cottage. We are excited to have this nearby opportunity to restore an abandoned 100 year-old piece of Fort Worth’s history. First, we will be cleaning it up, inside and out. Next comes the roof. Meanwhile, the siding comes off and a new paint job starts.

South Window There was a lot of interest in this home during the tour. If you would like to follow the progress, make sure we have your email address. We will notify everyone at significant intervals and invite them for a mini progress tour.

Your tax deductible donations are gratefully accepted for the ongoing restoration and maintenance of Southside Preservation Hall, The Rose Chapel, and our cottage across the street. Make checks payable to “SPA” Mail to: Southside Preservation Hall
1519 Lipscomb Street
Fort Worth, TX 76104

Removing the plywood from a boarded up kitchen window revealed a classic Queen Ann window design. (photo by Sue McLean)	Period details in the front facade (ladder is not a permanent part of the design). (photo by Sue McLean)
Window bays that "bump out" from the side of the house are characteristic of many houses from this period. Campfire in foreground. (photo by Sue McLean)	View of the roof straight up from central hallway. (photo by Kerry Bouchard)
Adding a garden to the front yard. Since it was impossible to purchase the property until recently, the Southside Preservation Association had painted the boarded-up front windows of the house to discourage vandalism. (photo by Kerry Bouchard)	View out North Window (photo by Kerry Bouchard)
(photo by Kerry Bouchard)	Living Room. Trash with treasure. (photo by Sue McLean)
Wainscotting with overlapping calligraphy (photo by Kerry Bouchard)	Historic Winn Dixie shopping cart (might be last one in Fort Worth!) (photo by Sue McLean)