Adaptive Reuse: Vanderleigh Furniture & Antiques

[thelakelander]

This thread isn't about a discussion on whether people believe the antiques are overpriced or affordable.  Its an article on the preservation and reuse of a historic structure in Jacksonville.  Something, that based on our city's history, tends to be an exception to the rule.  Let's keep it on topic.

[Ocklawaha]

went today and found the prices to be insanely out of touch with reality.  one lamp we saw was priced $145 -- despite the fact that it was a basic wood lamp that could be purchased at most local estate sales for less than $25.

seriously -- everything was overpriced.

Sorry Gogators, this is not a Big Lots Franchise, which is where most people go that find cheap stuff. It would be obvious to most that one would not visit Vanderleigh Furniture & Antiques, any more then they would Ethan Allen, or Scan Design, for bargain prices.

There is furniture then there is furniture, in the upper end of the field are one of a kind pieces, where craftsmen still sign their work. These stores might still hide a bargain or two within their field, but would be a much higher quality then a discounter such as Sticks and Stuff, Walmart, Target, Rooms to Go, or American Signature. High Quality furniture also has some other typical traits, such as precision fit dovetail joints, exotic and often rare hardwoods, solids and veneer's, or stunning use of glass and industrial materials. Better furniture also includes detailing with minute attention to things like a split veneer with mirrored pieces, as well as expensive hardware. Ironically you will NOT find use of cardboard, furniture board, hardboard, staples, tacks, nails, glues or screws, real quality needs these things only in sparse quantity's, the art is hidden in the fit and finish. Equally exotic fabrics, upholstery, and stitching are another common factor, in fact high end has even been found to sometimes contain 24k gold threads, gem stones, porcelain etc.

Middle of the road, "family" and "Room ready" furniture stores may have a few of the above qualities, mixed with low cost fabrics, and sturdy but crude joints with screws, nails and glues. Glass and steel are usually mixed with the furniture both to give a faux finish as well as expedite a quick and cheap finish.

Deep Discounters, such as Big Lots, Walmart, Target or K-Mart, almost always is full of cardboard, paper, furniture or press boards, and can even require assembly. The stuff is extremely heavy and the longer "boards" tend to break, snapping like glass, or sometimes sagging to ridiculous perportions.  The "wood" finishes are simple photographic overlays on thin paper applied to pressed sawdust, hardly the stuff of the DuPont, Ball, Davis, Flagler, Rockerfeller or Getty family.

...And Ock would know this why?

Well I love quality furnishing, and maybe come by that through genetics, furnishing railcars has been in my family for a over a century. The Mann Car Company built PV's and sleeping cars, creating most of the patents that would become The Pullman Company. Bet y'all never figured how I'd turn this thread into more train talk, but then again try furnishing a train at Big Lots! Yeah Lunican, REAL trains.

OCKLAWAHA

[sheclown]

Quality construction is why we love these old Springfield houses.

Our society turned away from respecting craftsmanship in favor of planned obsolescence a long time ago, check out the landfills. 

[thelakelander]

Express it and keep moving.  SPAR really has nothing to do with this thread so lets keep the Springfield politics out of it.  Part of the reason these threads continue to get off topic is because adults can't voice their opinion and move on if someone disagrees with them.  In addition, every Tom, Dick and Harry has to get the last word in on something that has absolutely nothing to do with main topic of the thread.  In this case, that topic is historic preservation and adaptive reuse of a building.

If anyone has anything to say in this thread that does not relate to the topic at hand, feel free to use the PM system or contact a site moderator.  Thanks for your cooperation in keeping Metro Jacksonville a decent place to visit.

[lindab]

Saw a news story last nite about adaptive reuse in a different sense; it focused on reuse of scrap or discarded building materials.

A man in Huntsville, Texas has made a mission of using discarded lumber, shingles, and other construction trash to create unique low income homes. So far he has built 14 homes often with the advice or assistance of the future homeowners. The community supports his effort and donates scrap materials for his work.  The man is a real artist as well as a builder. The images shown of his work show a care for design even if he is using mismatched salvage material. 

Here is the link for the September article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/garden/03recycle.html

[sheclown]

To a much lesser degree, Joe and I did this with our house on 5th Street.  We used left overs from all the jobs we had done over the years.  The tile work is interesting!  And so is the kitchen.  It was fun to be so creative and in the end, it looks wonderful.

[lindab]

I think saving old buildings where possible is a good thing for our community and for the history of a place.  But when I see how much we throw away in demolition of structures, it is an even better thing to adapt and reuse.

[sheclown]

well said, lindab

[chris farley]

Actually it was not abandoned when Walter bought it.  Paul Shockey owned it before him and sold it to Walter, but Paul did an incredible amount of restoration work to the downstairs.  I saw it when he first closed on it and again when he had done restorations, ready for resale. I believe that Walter restored the upstairs, either way the place is beautiful - the lovely outside is all Walter.

[thelakelander]

What year did Paul Shockey purchase it?  The City Directory in the Library's Special Collections Department shows it as being vacant in 2000.  Did Paul purchase and restore it after 2000?

[strider]

It looks like Shockey's company purchased it in 2001.  The best way to find things like this is the property appraisers data base and you can see the recorded sales. They must also have gotten the zoning change/ exception that was done in 2003. (You can tell zoning changes by looking at the older property record cards and checking the zoning.  Technically, I can't confirm the exception, but as they went through the process to change the zoning from RMD to CRO, then we can assume they did it all including the exception so it could be a live/ work/ retail loft.)

[chris farley]

Yes I believe it was early 2002, - probably as Venture Resources,  I will check,  I know he owned it, he walked me around to show me all the great things he had done.  I will check but talk to him or Walter.  When he was selling it to Walter he brought him to the Business Assn. to introduce him.  I know he did a tremendous amount of work, opening up the downstairs.  He has the history on the building, he told me it was a grocery store and that the family lived upstairs.  I do not think he flipped it since he had it quite a while.

[chris farley]

Late 2001 makes sense, (I didn't bother to look in the property appraiser, at this point, I made had made my post as Strider was making his) it was 2002 when he  walked me around it. I do not know why the zoning change was needed, since it had been a shop with living quarters.  I know he was calling it "The Fort",
This is not to take away from Walter he has done incredible work and the place and its contents are marvellous.

On the city records you need to check and recheck and sometimes follow the bodies.

[Ernest Street]

The downstairs ceiling with the exposed trusses looks fantastic and was probably a labor of love on a scaffolding for HOURS!
I love the adaptive reuse of the chain and poles out front..(anti Smash and grab barriers no less)

[chris farley]

Paul exposed the trusses
Ennis not to go off subject, but the 2000 book - the 2000 is the year published, the info would be gleaned in 1999.  I know this to be so from many researches, even for witnesses in a trial.  The buildings down here have been dated by the directories, they were used in the home tour books, but all of the buildings are at least one or maybe two years older than that.  I was looking at a house on the Boulevard, which was given as 1917, then by chance I found a photograph of it newly built (in the FTU) in 1915.  In the past plaster houses had to stand for several months before they could be lived in also.
Paul and Tony may have photos of the inside when it was bought