Goodbye Brownstones

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Brownstones are one of the most attractive attention grabbers in New York City. Unfortunately the ones that are built now will be the last of its kind. The Portland Brownstone Quarries owned by geologist Michael Meehan, has closed its doors. The last of its supplies should be depleted by the end of the month. The stone is being replaced with a type of cement because of durability. Some preservationists are making an effort to savor a piece of what is left.

George Heckel who works with stone fabricators in New Jersey said, “We’re all scrambling to grab that stone.”

Old House Journal

Although there are many people who are sad to say goodbye to the beautiful brownstones, that’s not the case for everyone. One man wasn’t so thrilled about the stones to begin with.

Timothy Lynch, executive director of the New York City Buildings Department’s forensic unit, said, “I remember a quote saying it was the worst stone ever quarried.”

Brownstones first arrived in New York around the 19^th century. They were actually single family houses that eventually were converted into apartments. The stone which comes from near the Connecticut River was easy to manipulate, because of its soft texture. That was actually a part of the problem because the stone was prone to cracking and flaking.

Andrew S. Dolkart, director of the historic preservation program at Columbia University, said, “By the 19^th century, people were already complaining about this.”

There are other quarries around the world that produce brownstone but experts say they just do not add up to the stone that originated in Portland. Most of the Portland brownstone was used to create majestic and historic buildings in New York.

Andre Dawson, a student at Florida A&M University who is also a proud resident of Harlem New York, said, “Brownstones are the essence of Harlem. If you lived in one, it was something you were proud to have.”                                                                                    

After almost 20 years Mr. Meehan, owner of the quarry, has put his land up for sale. He plans to keep some of the stones for himself. During his retirement he plans to keep building little things like bird baths, benches and so on, just for fun, but he is not looking to make a profit.  

By Tineisha Sulker

With contributions from New York Times, EllinInTurkey.com

Photo, Old House Journal

Video, NYCPalStock.com

EDUKATE YOSELF

New York.gov

Mironproperties.com

Brownstoner.com

Facebook BrownstonePark

Twitter Brownstonepark

Not The End Of The World

There are a high percentage of young mothers in America. The question is …why? Has it become acceptable in this society to be unmarried and have children at a young age?

Some say that young mothers that have children do not strive economically. They have difficulty with budgeting and having to change their mind set to start thinking about themselves plus one.

 It’s not motherhood that makes a woman suffer; it has a lot to do with keeping their priorities in order. Most low income mothers are able to receive much help from government assistance, so the burden of motherhood is not a major struggle.

ChaKiara Tucker, 24, is a mother of a beautiful baby boy. She says that motherhood has been difficult but she still is able to manage.

“I’ve learned to appreciate and not take advantage of what help I do receive for my baby,” said Tucker, “but it’s still hard because I’m learning that a child is very expensive and not all government assistence are very helpful."

Author and economist Melissa Schettini Kearney of the University of Maryland believes that young mothers who have uneducated mothers are more likely to have children than those who have mothers that are educated. That may not always be the case.

“My mom and dad did go to school but she had her first child when she was 16,” said Tucker, “she is a FAMU graduate just like I will be soon .”

Most parents in this generation don’t have “the talk” with their children so most times they are uneducated about what to do. That definitely plays a part in the percentage of young mothers.

Early motherhood is not the end of the world it definitely can have its benefits.

“Being a young mom is hard but, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world,” said Tucker, “I love my baby boy and I enjoy learning new things with him and watching him grow.”

When the time is right

     It seems like in today’s society more teens and those in their early twenties are having children. That makes for younger grandparents as well. With various types of assistance from the government, it somewhat makes it easier on those who aren’t financially stable to take care and raise a child. The question is: who influences these young people? Who do they have to look up to? What happened to waiting until marriage or even when the time is right? Respectfully some young parents do make their child their first priority and do their best to raise them. Although having a child is a blessing, children still deserve to be raised in stable conditions. But it still goes to show, things happen for a reason and a blessing is a blessing no matter what form it comes in. Young parents learn sacrifice early.

Moments in Time