I am sad but unfortunately not surprised to read how the television program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition recently documented the destruction of a decrepit but repairable old bungalow in Raleigh, North Carolina (map). Not only did they allow demolition derby cars to smash into the house as part of its demolition, but they refused to allow architectural antique collectors or dealers buy the many features in the house, including heart-pine flooring and wood trim and original windows – money that could have gone to the family who owned the house, or the volunteer organization that pulled together to get the new structure built.
Hopefully Raleigh’s Riggins family won’t have the same problems that the Llanes family, who participated in an Extreme Makeover Home Edition moment in North Bergen NJ, had; they now cannot afford the much higher property taxes on their new house. The new tax bill, more than $14,000, makes the family feel as if an ax is "hanging over our head. With all the taxes, it’s like we’re on a chopping
block."
The well-built but run-down home in Raleigh, instead of being remodeled or restored (two things it sorely needed!), was replaced with a new house built in one week. Now, I’ve talked to a lot of contractors, custom home builders and architects over the years, and I talked to a few of them about this particular case. Every one said that there was absolutely no way that a house built in a single week could be better than a half-decent, disposable piece of junk, and certainly wouldn’t last half as long as the home it replaced. So: good going, Extreme Makeover. I’m sure the advertisers are happy, though, and that’s really all that matters – the event was really for them, and the volunteers were subsidizing them just as much as engaging in healthy and community-building service. The fact that a needy and deserving family got a nice new McMansion is simply a good PR side-effect as far as the advertisers are concerned.
Matthew Brown in Raleigh wrote a letter to his local newspaper, the Raleigh News & Observer, lamenting the loss; many folks in the community share his opinion (although most are happy that a needy family is getting a new house), and Sven Rylesdorn says it better than I could, also pointing out the absurdity of having the demolition derby cars attempt to tear the house down:
The meager humor is that the cars couldn’t actually do this – they
pulled the columns off, but the porch roof stayed up. The crew had to
pre-chainsaw the framing of the house in order to get the walls to fall
down when the cars hit it. So then it looks like the place really was
not-worth-saving. After all, if a car can knock it down…
Mark Turner talks to Myrick Howard, the head of Preservation North Carolina, about the project; Howard had this to say:
"I believe in charity, but if you really care about good
housing, then renovate the existing house and it will cost so much
less," he said.Howard added that the Riggins home was not only salvageable but made
of better building materials than Extreme Makeover would use."We’re replacing real wood and plaster with chip board and sheet
rock," he said. "They’re getting showered with candy rather than a
decent meal."
Personally, I think the Riggins family deserved a lot better than this scripted media event, and they deserve a house at least as sturdy as the old one. These are people who give a lot back to the community – Linda Riggins is a social worker who recently had to stop work due to crippling arthritis, and her husband Bill was a tailor until his degenerating vision caused him to give up that work (he is now legally blind) – and they are actively involved with a local ministry devoted to helping underprivileged children and finding homes for low-income families. But a real restoration project, full of detail work and craftspeople taking their time to do it right, doesn’t sell TV commercial time, and then the network and its owners, Disney, would have had to pay for staff rather than getting free volunteers to throw up a ready-built. Apparently, the show did generate a kind of ripple effect of volunteerism in the community, at least for a little while, and that is absolutely wonderful, even if it may not last too long. It’s a shame that someone had to get a (comparatively) mediocre house for this to happen, though.
Richard Hart, in his Up Front column in Indy, the Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill-area independent weekly, tells us, basically, that we should just shove our cynicism. But I’m not cynical about the effects of the project overall; I think it is wonderful that a needy family got a new home and a community came together to do something not necessarily for themselves. I think it’s sad, though, that the only way this can happen is in a scripted event meant to make a bunch of money for Disney and its local commercial sponsors, even to the point of denying the local charities in the event discounted advertising time during the airing of the program.
So let’s look at the lessons we can learn from the Extreme Makeover
experience. Jennings has a few suggestions: The spirit and
infrastructure for volunteerism it created should be capitalized upon
long-term; all corporate citizens should make addressing the common
good part of their business practices; we should support businesses
that accept that responsibility; and there should be incentives for
them to pursue it.What else can we learn? Shouldn’t we be embarrassed that families
like the Rigginses have to live as they do? We need to open our eyes to
the conditions around us and press our elected officials to address
them. Cities need to aggressively enforce housing codes and create
powerful economic incentives for poor families (and landlords) in older
areas to repair their homes, improve their neighborhoods and protect
our architectural heritage.
Derek Jennings echoes Mr. Hart’s editorial in his feature article in the same issue; luckily, he also gives us a photograph of handsome carpenter Ty Pennington and writes that "his hunk value is considered one of the show’s attractions." I’m glad the Indy is looking out for their advertisers and sexually frustrated
housewives everywhere, rather than taking a critical approach to an entire community being manipulated by Disney and its advertisers.
Last but not least, Betsy, a local high school blogger, has discovered that ABC is not picking up the bill for police, city inspectors and other government services related to the media circus; the city of Raleigh is expected to pay. After all, isn’t it the American way for the public to be subservient to private profit, and for government to subsidize private business? I call it "socialism for the rich."
more: Scott Parkerson’s photographs of the circus around 207 Poplar Street in Raleigh, NC; a slideshow of "the start and the finish" of the new house being built; a related article and comments at Endangered Durham; Triangle Homeworks, the non-profit that put the volunteer effort together, gives a bit of background on their involvement with the project; TV news, as usual, is not in the business of asking questions because everybody loves a good public interest story – their first story on the program ended with this very telling blurb:
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was the 15th-rated show in last week’s Nielsen ratings.
Multiple emails and a fax to the show’s producers and ABC / Disney have so far been unanswered.
Couldn’t agree more. Thanks for linking Endangered Durham – just to point out that Barry was actually quoting my commentary on ED in the quote you ascribe above “The meager humor….” etc. Thanks.
SR
The old home was dangerous and a dump. You should have to take a shit or shower in that old bathroom they had. D**n boheimans
While it is sad some of the old house was not recycled, the Riggins will have a new house with zero mortgage and I believe, no bills. Be happy for them. I hope they can afford their proerty tax bill (used to live in Wake County, NC which is thankfully a lot less than NJ).
Yes, “Extreme Makeover,” I am sure it was dangerous and a dump. I don’t see how that refutes anything regarding the fact that a very involved restoration or remodel would have been less photogenic and was thus the primary reason a new build was used.
And to the last commenter – I hope so too! And even though I have some problems with the motives behind the Extreme Makeover folks themselves and their producers, I am *extremely* happy for the Riggins family – they did deserve the house and it looks like they’ll enjoy it.
I just watched the faces of each family member as a dream that was so far out there, they could not even dream it, come true. How do you take that away for any reason? There is no mortage–I bet they can handle the taxes. You don’t give this family enough credit.
Actually, I give them plenty of credit; as I said, they certainly deserve it. I’m not sure you actually read what I wrote, or understood it.
My central point is that the show is cheap manipulation, a staged faux-charity event, and that all the volunteers are basically being manipulated to make tremendous amounts of money for the network’s commercial advertisers; they are unpaid performers in a media circus that is 100% constructed. The only thing not manipulated by Disney and their advertisers in this case is the actual need of the family, and while they are certainly being paid – they do get a house out of it, after all – they are being manipulated more than anyone (although, personally – if I were them at least – I think that’s a kind of manipulation I wouldn’t really mind).
I think there’s a much bigger issue here than a needy family getting a new home, and the longer we ignore it and embrace feel-good stories, the more we allow our lives and our kids’ lives to be defined by commercial media.
Funny how all that posturing and finger-wagging conveniently avoids discussing that the house was actually going to be condemned and bulldozed by the city due to its “extreme” disrepair.
The city waited to find out if the TV show would pick them for a new house before knocking the place down.
Actually, what the city was waiting for was to find out if the TV program was going to cover the cost of restoration work; until they were told in the first permit filing, they were not expecting a tear down and rebuild. I’ve read this and been told it and I believe it.
I’m not pointing fingers at anyone, and I’m not really sure what “posturing” means in this case. I don’t necessarily think what happened is ethically good or bad; I just think it’s important to understand why the show was produced the way it was, and who benefited most.
With all due respect, you’re an idiot.
Where to begin?
> The house was about to be condemned.
> Nothing historical happened there.
> The architecture had nothing unique about it.
> Myrick Howard, general know-nothing and do-nothing is your sources for this. I know for a fact he never went in the old house, so his comments do nothing except undermine the efforts of true preservationists trying to preserve true historic and salvagable structures.
> “Welfare for the rich?” I doubt anyone in Mordecai would consider Linda and William rich?
Your blog does nothing more than piss on a campfire. Go contribute something to society. Please.
I think you misread the article. the “rich” referred to when I spoke of socialism for the wealthy were CERTAINLY not Linda and William. That phrase refers to public dollars being used to subsidize the profits of wealthy corporations.
Jlt,
I think it is such a shame that this restorable home was lost to be replaced by a foe stoned “20’s lookalike” atrosity.. I think the comments you are recieving are rediculous and uttly unappropriate.. (what are these people doing on a pro restoration site anyway).. thank you for posting this article and making me aware of this lost home.. In my area..Stony Point NY… the DOT is planning to build a new bridge through our town and will destroy many of the historic buildings in our small town..I think it is rediculous that we do not ave respect and preserve our history..or atleast salvage materials from homes that to be demolised so tat we can preserve te craftsmansip of our past. thanks again
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070119/NEWS03/701190394/1029/NEWS13
Thanks for the site, and the article. I live in a historic home, in a historic district, adjacent to a historic downtown. While many homes and buildings are in disrepair, some to the point of severe deterioration, I have always, and will always feel that they are worth saving. And I need HELP!!!
Gastonia’s City Council has recently voted to demolish 3 city-owned buildings on our Historic Main Street, including a theatre that was built around the turn of the century and an old Woolworth’s, even though there were multiple offers to purchase and rehab them. Contrary to what the City Manager, Mayor and Coucilmembers say, there are multiple buildings that have just been renovated, or are about to be. These buildings are right in the middle of the block, sharing walls with buildings that are currently under rehab! Our downtown is on the National Register, and yet none of the preservation society’s can help. If any one knows of any way to help stop this travesty, please, please, please post it here!
Here are the links to relevant articles! Our small paper is doing a great job of reporting this!
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/city_15042___article.html/palenick_downtown.html http://www.gastongazette.com/news/downtown_15094___article.html/greenville_gastonia.html
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/city_15135___article.html/palenick_property.html
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/downtown_15284___article.html/palenick_property.html
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/downtown_15364___article.html/city_property.html
This has to be the most riduclous thing I’ve ever read in my life. It comes across as pure envy and bitterness. As another poster with loads of common sense pointed out, this family’s home was about to be *condemned* anyway. And FYI – old hardwood floors are not always restorable, and considering the age and condition of this house I’m sure this was probably the case as well. I’m sure any reputable “antique dealer” would have turned around and walked out at first sight. Furthermore, considering the Riggins ARE handicapped, don’t you think they could use the extra room and amenities for better mobility and safety?? And, I hardly think this family will have to worry about a higher tax bill, considering the show paid off their mortgage AND their hospital bills!
our communication with the Riggens showed that, unfortunately, the promised payoff of their medical bills never materialized.
three different firms had been interested in buying up architectural salvage from the property and all were turned away.
the new property tax bill is almost exactly three times, per year, what the old bill was. the Riggins told a local tv news channel that they had no idea it would be that high when they agreed to this.
finally, county code enforcement says that the house was actually a long way away from being condemned, and that the producers pushed the condemned angle far past reality in order to manufacture such exciting television.
And what gets me is that they put in an Elevator! An Elevator! Really? How many homes in America have or need an Elevator? What happens if the thing malfunctions? Do they have to pay for a city elevator repair man? The Husband is blind but he can still walk, he can feel his way up and down stairs. An elevator is simply unnecessary. They always go waaaay over the top. Not to mention, nicer house= please rob us because we have better stuff than you now! Having a smaller more modest house made the family seem more altruistic, why didn’t they just remodel? This isn’t the first story I’ve heard of Extreme Makeover Gone Wrong.
It’s people like who sit on their hands and do nothing to help people. You say they can’t build a house in seven days, sir you need to look at the kingdom halls that are being built by the Jehovah Witnesses. After the slab has been laid, they the whole building up AND inspected in FIVE DAYS.
They have service the following Sunday. The Amish build a barn in one day, so why can’t a bunch of people who are willing to put their lives on hold build a house in seven days so people can have a place they can truly call home.
I think sir you are jelious that you didn’t get it.
Agreed. None of the writers of these stories step up to help these people in any way whatsoever, And then when help is provided, they make sure they publish and bash the people providing help, it’s kind of very dark those actions are.
How was it even livable?
There was no bashing.
The ones with handicapped people who they built a 2 story house for, that’s who.
Did you see the inside of the house. It was falling apart.