‘Slumpy’ was a favorite of Detroit ruins-aficionados, up until recently (2007) providing hot sparks of tension between various websites who documented its 20-year decline and hoped to capture its ultimate crumbling on video. I don’t know who won out in the end, but surprisingly there was somebody there, and filming, when the slump finally became a collapse.
‘Slumpy’ was more properly known as the William Livingstone House, built in 1893 in the French Rennaissance-style by a freshly qualified architect (Albert Kahn) just after he got back from a ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe. For 80 odd years it housed the Livingstone family in the upscale Brush Park district, lending self-made merchantman William Livingstone some much-needed old money gravitas.
About 20 years ago it was moved a block west, where the foundation wasn’t strong enough to fully support and it began a long slow slump that ended with its collapse and demolition in 2007.
Before the move, after the move
Before the slump
After the collapse of the face
A hole in the heart
Glamor shot
What remains.
Photo Credits- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
RUINS / HAIKYO
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Comments 6
That house looks like it was a beatiful place originally.
Sic jacet gloria mundi.
detroit on the whole was a beautiful place at one time. beautiful architecture and design. it’s a shame what it’s turned into, but I think it’s beginning a revival. we can only hope.
Oops, that should be “Sic transit gloria mundi,” “Thus passes the glory of the world.”
I guess I got confused with “Hic jacet,” “Here lies,” as in an epitaph. I know just enough Latin to be a danger to myself. 😉
Author
David- Confused me with the ‘sic jacet’ there, was glad to see the correction. I actually studied Latin for 7 years, so hope I would recognize most quoted phrases, though that was over 10 years ago.
If you are interested in mansion ruins, check out Whitemarsh Hall (PA) which was demolished (1980) There are stone remenants around the property Good video on Youtube.
There is also a sister mansion (identical one which was built in 1898) called Lynnewood Hall which is in Elkin Park, PA. It is very run down. It is still there (and not vandalized) only because it is surrounded by it’s origional 6 ft tall iron fence with gates. You can get a good overhead view of the mansion on google earth.
There is also a well done video on youtube, with a nice music sountrack..
America the wasteful. 🙁