A mansion from the last gilded age in New Vernon, Jersey. This grand old house stood for about 100 years or more.
Two or three years ago it was sold. The new owners undertook extensive
renovations. As the renovations were just about complete, the house
suffered a fire. The fire damaged, but did not destroy the house. It
stood for sale for about two years. Apparently, the new owners found
value only in the land and saw no reason to preserve a repairable
historic dwelling.
Today, in less than six hours, it was razed the ground. Probably, it
took a year or more to construct. It took less than a single work shift
to lay it ruin and rubble. Knowing the area and time in which this was
built, it's a fair guess that the fine handiwork of many skilled artisans
went into the architectural details.
The only word I can come up with to describe my feelings when I drove by
at noon today and saw this wanton destruction in progress is disgust. In it's place, no doubt, some gaudy example of wretched excess will spring up like a poisonous mushroom.
I shot this image a couple of months ago. I assumed at the time that the end was near.

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