Spite house

Last updated
The Skinny House in Boston, Massachusetts, was reputedly built by a man who inherited only a small patch of land, to spite his neighbor by blocking his view. Spite house in Boston (36241p).jpg
The Skinny House in Boston, Massachusetts, was reputedly built by a man who inherited only a small patch of land, to spite his neighbor by blocking his view.

A spite house is a building constructed or substantially modified to irritate neighbors or any party with land stakes. Because long-term occupation is not the primary purpose of these houses, they frequently sport strange and impractical structures.

Contents

Purpose

Spite houses may deliberately obstruct light or block access to neighboring buildings, or might be flagrant symbols of defiance. [1] [2] Although, in the US, homeowners generally have no right to views, light, or air, neighbors can sue for a negative easement. In instances regarding a spite build, courts are far more likely to side with the neighboring parties which may have been affected by that build. [3] For example, the Coty v. Ramsey Associates, Inc. case of 1988 ruled that the defendant's spite farm constituted a nuisance, granting the neighboring landowner a negative easement. [3]

Spite houses, as well as spite farms, are considerably rarer than spite fences. [1] This is partially attributable to the fact that modern building codes often prevent the construction of houses likely to impinge on neighbors' views or privacy, but mostly because fence construction is far cheaper, quicker, and easier than home construction. [4] There are also similar structures known as spite walls or blinder walls.

Construction of spite houses or spite fences is considered illegal in those countries which follow the civil law. It is considered as abuse of rights, and in some countries, like Finland, it is explicitly prohibited by law. [5]

Examples

Old Spite House, Marblehead, MA

The Old Spite House of Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1912. The Old Spite House, Marblehead, MA.jpg
The Old Spite House of Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1912.

In 1716, Thomas Wood, a sailmaker, built a house in Marblehead, Massachusetts, that subsequently became known as the Old Spite House. One possibility is that it was inhabited by two brothers who occupied different sections, would not speak to each other, and refused to sell to the other. [6] Another explanation is that the ten-foot-wide (3 m) house, just tall enough to block the view of two other houses on Orne Street, was built because its owner was upset about his tiny share of his father's estate and therefore decided to spoil his older brothers' views. [7] The Old Spite House is still standing and occupied. [7]

McCobb Spite House, Rockport, ME

The McCobb Spite House at Deadman's Point in July 1960. McCobb Spite House July 1960.JPG
The McCobb Spite House at Deadman's Point in July 1960.

In 1806, Thomas McCobb, heir to his father's land and shipbuilding business, returned home to Phippsburg, Maine, from sea to discover that his stepbrother Mark had inherited the family "Mansion in the Wilderness". [8] Upset about his loss, McCobb built a house directly across from the McCobb mansion to spite his stepbrother. [8] The National Park Service's Historic American Buildings Survey photographed and documented the 1925 move of the McCobb Spite House by barge from Phippsburg to Deadman's Point in Rockport, Maine. [9] [10] [11]

Tyler Spite House, Frederick, MD

The Tyler Spite House in Frederick, Maryland. It is located at the southern terminus of Record Street. 2008 03 28 - Frederick - Tyler Spite House 1.JPG
The Tyler Spite House in Frederick, Maryland. It is located at the southern terminus of Record Street.

In 1814, John Tyler, an ophthalmologist and one of the first American-born physicians to perform a cataract operation, owned a parcel of land near the courthouse square in Frederick, Maryland. [12] The city made plans to extend Record Street south through Tyler's land to meet West Patrick Street. [12] In fighting the city, Tyler discovered a local law that prevented the building of a road if work was in progress on a substantial building in the path of a proposed road. [12] To spite the city, Tyler immediately had workmen pour a building foundation, which was discovered by the road crews the next morning. [12] [13]

Hollensbury Spite House, Alexandria, VA

In 1830, John Hollensbury's home in Alexandria, Virginia, was one of two houses that directly bordered an alley that attracted an annoying amount of horse-drawn wagon traffic and loiterers. [14] To prevent people from using the alleyway, Hollensbury constructed a 7-foot-wide (2.1 m), 25-foot-deep (7.6 m), 325-square-foot (30.2 m2), two-story home using the existing brick walls of the adjacent homes for the sides of the new house. [14] The brick walls of the Hollensbury Spite House living room have gouges from wagon-wheel hubs, and the house is still standing and occupied. [14]

Skinny House, Boston, MA

The Skinny House in Boston is considered a spite house. One story of its creation tells that in 1874, two brothers in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, got into a dispute. [15] [16] Each had previously inherited land from their deceased father. [15] While the second brother was away serving in the military, the first brother built a large home, leaving the soldier only a shred of property that the first brother felt certain was too tiny to build on. [15] When the soldier returned, he found his inheritance depleted and built a wooden house at 44 Hull St. to spite his brother by blocking the sunlight and ruining his view. [15] The outside of the house spans 10.4 feet (3.2 m) and tapers to 9.25 feet (2.82 m) in the rear. [15]

Schilling Spite House, Hiawatha, KS

In 1880, Adam Schilling owned a tract of 80 acres (32 ha) adjoining the town of Hiawatha, Kansas. [17] Schilling sold three-quarters of an acre of this land, on which a house eventually was built and became owned by James Falloon. [17] Together, the 80 acres (320,000 m2) were well-suited to add to the town of Hiawatha, but Falloon refused to sell his three-quarters of an acre at the low price Schilling offered. [17] To spite his neighbor, Schilling then built a cheap tenement house on his own property 13 feet (4.0 m) from Falloon's with the "idea of rendering Falloon's home obnoxious and unendurable to Falloon and family" by renting to people Falloon might find objectionable. [17]

Richardson Spite House, New York City

The Richardson Spite House in 1895. Spite house NY 1895.jpg
The Richardson Spite House in 1895.

The Richardson Spite House in New York City at Lexington Avenue and 82nd Street was built in 1882 [18] and demolished in 1915. It was four stories tall, 104 feet (31.7 m) wide, and only five feet (1.5 m) deep. Joseph Richardson, the owner of the plot, built it after the owner of an adjacent plot, Hyman Sarner, unsuccessfully tried to purchase the land. Sarner considered the plot useless by itself and offered only $1000; Richardson demanded $5000. After the deal fell through, Richardson had an apartment building constructed on his land. It was a functional (albeit impractical) apartment building with eight suites, each consisting of three rooms and a bath. [19]

Waldorf Hotel, New York City

In the early 1890s, in the Astor family, William Waldorf Astor's mansion was next door to that of his aunt, Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor, on the block later occupied by the Empire State Building. He and his aunt did not get along well, and William replaced his mansion with a hotel, the original Waldorf Hotel in 1893. The building not only towered over his aunt's home, but it also had no windows at all on the side facing the aunt's mansion. [20]

Salem Spite House, Salem, MA

At some point before 1898, a home was erected in Salem, Massachusetts, to "cut off the view of a neighbor". [21] After the owner died, his heirs agreed in 1898 to have the Salem Spite House torn down to avoid a "vexatious lawsuit with the obnoxious neighbor". [21]

Collinsville Spite House, Collinsville, CT

In the 19th century, a butcher in Collinsville, Connecticut, feuded with his neighbor. [22] To spite his neighbor, the butcher built between their adjoining houses a narrow, two-story structure with windows covered by Venetian blinds. [22] The wooden building located between 23 and 25 River St. was the width of a standard stairway and allowed the butcher to block the sun to the neighbor's home and block the neighbor's view of the butcher's property at will. [22] [23] The butcher's son got along with the family next door and eventually tore down the Collinsville Spite House. [22]

Freeport Spite House, Freeport, NY

Developer John Randall's unusual "Freeport Spite House" or "Miracle House" blocked a rival developer's plan for the route of Freeport, New York's Lena Avenue. Freeport, NY - 146 Lena Ave 01.jpg
Developer John Randall's unusual "Freeport Spite House" or "Miracle House" blocked a rival developer's plan for the route of Freeport, New York's Lena Avenue.

Also in the 19th century, a Freeport, New York, developer who opposed all of Freeport being laid out in a grid, put up a Victorian house virtually overnight on a triangular plot at the corner of Lena Avenue and Wilson Place to spite the grid designers. [24] [25] The Freeport Spite House is still standing and occupied. [24]

Alameda Spite House, Alameda, CA

The Alameda Spite House, July 2008. AlamedaSpiteHouse.jpg
The Alameda Spite House, July 2008.

At the turn of the 20th century, the city of Alameda, California, took a large portion of Charles Froling's land to build a street. Froling had planned to build his dream house on the plot of land he received through inheritance. [26] To spite the city and an unsympathetic neighbor, Froling built a house 10 feet (3.0 m) deep, 54 feet (16 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) high on the tiny strip of land left to him. [26] He cantilevered the front-facing second story both to maximize floor space and preclude encroachment on zoning setbacks. The Alameda Spite House is still standing and occupied.

Edleston Spite House, Gainford, England

In 1904, the family of a deceased Joseph Edleston owned a plot of land next to the churchyard of St. Mary's in Gainford, England. [27] The children asked to erect a monument in the churchyard in memory of Joseph's 41-year tenure at the church. [27] The church refused permission, asserting that the churchyard was full but that the family could donate their land to the church and then build a monument on part of it. [27] Feeling slighted, the family immediately set about building themselves a house on their land with a 40-foot (12 m) column erected next to the churchyard so it towered over the trees. [27] The Edleston Spite House is still standing and occupied, and has MCMIV (1904) over the front door. [27]

Spite Church, Brooklyn, NY

In 1907 there was a "spite" church in Brooklyn, New York. It was built to take advantage of a law that forbade the operation of saloons within a certain distance of churches. Saloon owners brought suit against the church, arguing that the church was not a real church and no worship was practiced. The saloon owners won the case. [28]

O'Reilly Spite House, Cambridge, MA

O'Reilly Spite House, West Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2019. Spite house in Cambridge (46374).jpg
O'Reilly Spite House, West Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2019.

In 1908, Francis O'Reilly owned an investment parcel of land in West Cambridge, Massachusetts, and approached his abutting land neighbor to sell the land for a gain. [29] After the neighbor refused to buy the land, O'Reilly built a 308-square-foot (28.6 m2) building, measuring 37 feet (11 m) long and only 8 feet (2.4 m) wide to spite the neighbor. [29] The O'Reilly Spite House is still standing [29] and is occupied by an interior decorating firm as of mid-2009. [30]

Sam Kee Building, Vancouver

Sam Kee Building at Carrall and Pender Streets in Vancouver. SamKeeBuilding.jpg
Sam Kee Building at Carrall and Pender Streets in Vancouver.

The Sam Kee Building, built in 1913 in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a spite house and one of the narrowest commercial buildings in the world, considered the narrowest by Guinness World Records. The city widened the street and took a large part of Kee's land, who then built a 4-foot-11-inch-wide (1.5 m) building on the remaining very small parcel of land.

Sarajevo Spite House, Sarajevo

Before 1914, the Austro-Hungarians who ruled Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina wanted land in the Sarajevo Old Town district to build a city hall and library. [31] The land had a home on it and, despite offering the owner money, he refused and continued to refuse even when told that he had to move. [31] When the officials threatened him, he moved the house and rebuilt it, piece by piece, on the other side of the Miljacka river, as a way of spiting the officials. [31] The Sarajevo Spite House operates today as a restaurant called Inat Kuća (which means "Spite House"). [31]

The Pink House, Newbury, MA

In 1922, The Pink House was built in Newbury, Massachusetts. According to local legend, as per the terms of a divorce settlement, a man was required to build an exact replica of his house for his now ex-wife, but since the wife had failed to specify where the house be built, he built in the Great Marsh on the edge of town with saltwater plumbing. [32] [33]

Montlake Spite House, Seattle, WA

Alley view: the thin end of the Montlake Spite House (left) and the house it blocks from 24th. Montlake Spite House 05.jpg
Alley view: the thin end of the Montlake Spite House (left) and the house it blocks from 24th.

In 1925, according to one common story, a Montlake, Seattle, Washington neighbor made an insultingly low offer for a tiny slice of adjoining land. [34] Out of spite for the low offer, the builder built an 860-square-foot (80 m2) house that blocked the neighbors' open space. [34] However, there are other stories about how the house came to be, making its origins murky. [35] The house is 55 inches (1.4 m) wide at the south end, and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide at the north end. [34] [35] The Montlake Spite House is still standing and occupied. [34] [35]

Skinny Building, Pittsburgh, PA

The Pittsburgh Skinny Building as in 2015. Skinny Building, 2015-03-10.jpg
The Pittsburgh Skinny Building as in 2015.

The Skinny Building is only 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) wide, rivaling the Sam Kee Building in Vancouver which is considered the narrowest commercial building by Guinness World Records. Its narrow lot was created in 1903 by a street widening project, and the building itself was constructed in 1926 by Louis Hendel (c. 1874–1945), partly out of spite for neighboring business owners who complained about him obstructing the sidewalk with his fruit-selling business. The building is still standing, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in the Fourth Avenue Historic District.

Kavanagh Building, Buenos Aires

In 1934, Corina Kavanagh, of Irish descent, commissioned the building of a skyscraper in Buenos Aires, the iconic Kavanagh Building, at the time the highest skyscraper in Latin America. Local legend holds that Corina Kavanagh sought to arrange a marriage between one of her daughters and the son of the Anchorena family, one of the wealthiest and traditionalist aristocratic families of the country; the Anchorenas, however, refused. Out of revenge, she had her high-rise building built between the Anchorena's palace and the church the family had erected on the opposing side of the adjoining square. [36]

Virginia City Spite House, Virginia City, NV

In the 1950s, two Virginia City, Nevada neighbors got into a dispute. [37] When one of the men built a new house, the other bought the lot next to it and built a house less than 12 inches (30 cm) from his neighbor's house in spite to deprive the neighbor of both view and breeze. [37] The Virginia City Spite House is still standing and occupied. [37]

Al Ba'sa, Beirut

Al Ba'sa building in Beirut, Lebanon in 2024 The Grudge Building3.jpg
Al Ba'sa building in Beirut, Lebanon in 2024

In 1954, a thin wedge-shaped building was erected by architects Salah and Fawzi Itani on a 120 sq m plot in Beirut, Lebanon at the request of a man wanting to spoil the sea view of his brother after they failed to agree to jointly develop their neighboring plots. The street facade appears to be an ordinary apartment building, but is 60 cm at the narrowest and four meters at the widest. It is known as Al Ba'sa (The Middle Finger) and formerly as The Queen Mary due to its resemblance to the cruise ship. [38]

George Lucas' Grady Ranch, Marin County, CA

Film producer George Lucas had wanted to construct a movie studio on land that he owned in Marin County, California. After facing years of opposition, Lucas abandoned the project in 2012. Instead, he decided to construct a low-income housing development. While some sources have speculated that the low-income housing proposal was to spite the high-income residents in the wealthy county, [39] Lucas himself rejected that characterization. [40]

Equality House, Topeka, KS

The Equality House in Topeka, Kansas in 2016. EqualityHouse April2016.jpg
The Equality House in Topeka, Kansas in 2016.

The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, is infamous for its anti-LGBT picketing. The humanitarian charity Planting Peace purchased a house across the street from the church and, in 2013, had it painted to match the colors of the rainbow pride flag. [41] It was named the 'Equality House' and has received worldwide attention and media coverage. [41] In 2016, Planting Peace acquired the house next door to the Equality House and painted it the colors of the transgender pride flag. [42] The houses provide shelter to volunteers [41] and a community garden. [43]

In fiction

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Business Man", (written in 1839 or 1840) includes the following passage in the voice of Peter Proffit, a confidence trickster who describes himself as a legitimate businessman. Proffit's attempted scam is to build a spite house and extort his neighbors to pay him to tear it down. (He calls this line of business 'the Eye-Sore trade'.)

Whenever a rich old hunks, or prodigal heir, or bankrupt corporation, gets into the notion of putting up a palace, there is no such thing in the world as stopping either of them, and this every intelligent person knows. The fact in question is indeed the basis of the Eye-Sore trade. As soon, therefore, as a building project is fairly afoot by one of these parties, we merchants secure a nice corner of the lot in contemplation, or a prime little situation just adjoining or tight in front. This done, we wait until the palace is half-way up, and then we pay some tasty architect to run us up an ornamental mud hovel, right against it; or a Down-East or Dutch Pagoda, or a pig-sty, or an ingenious little bit of fancy work, either Esquimau, Kickapoo, or Hottentot. Of course, we can't afford to take these structures down under a bonus of five hundred per cent upon the prime cost of our lot and plaster. Can we? I ask the question. I ask it of business men. It would be irrational to suppose that we can.

In season 10 of Curb Your Enthusiasm , Larry David opens coffee shop Latte Larry's as a "spite store" to get revenge on the neighboring store, Mocha Joe's.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montlake, Seattle</span> Seattle Neighborhood in King, Washington, United States

Montlake is a wealthy residential neighborhood in central Seattle, Washington. It is located along the Montlake Cut of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, bounded to the north by Portage Bay, to the east by the Washington Park Arboretum, and to the south and west by Interlaken Park. Capitol Hill is on its south and west sides, and the University of Washington campus lies across the Montlake Cut to the north. State Route 520 runs through the northern tip of Montlake, isolating four blocks from the rest of the neighborhood. The (unofficial) City Clerk's map of Montlake considers it to extend further west, past Interlaken Park, extending to Broadway Avenue E. and, between Lynn Street and State Route 520, all the way to Interstate 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back Bay, Boston</span> Neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, and US historic place

Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the availability in the city at the time, and the area was fully built by around 1900. It is most famous for its rows of Victorian brownstone homes—considered one of the best preserved examples of 19th-century urban design in the United States—as well as numerous architecturally significant individual buildings, and cultural institutions such as the Boston Public Library, and Boston Architectural College. Initially conceived as a residential-only area, commercial buildings were permitted from around 1890, and Back Bay now features many office buildings, including the John Hancock Tower, Boston's tallest skyscraper. It is also considered a fashionable shopping destination and home to several major hotels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copp's Hill</span>

Copp's Hill is an elevation in the historic North End of Boston, Massachusetts. It is bordered by Hull Street, Charter Street and Snow Hill Street. The hill takes its name from William Copp, a shoemaker who lived nearby. Copp's Hill Burying Ground is a stop on the Freedom Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gainford, County Durham</span> Village in County Durham, England near River Tees

Gainford or Gainford on Tees is a village on the north bank of the River Tees in County Durham, England. It is half-way between Barnard Castle and Darlington, near Winston, at OS map reference NZ 1716.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prudential Tower</span> Skyscraper in Boston

The Prudential Tower, also known as the Prudential Building or, colloquially, the Pru, is an international style skyscraper in Boston, Massachusetts. The building, a part of the Prudential Center complex, currently stands as the 2nd-tallest building in Boston, behind the John Hancock Tower. The Prudential Tower was designed by Charles Luckman and Associates for Prudential Insurance. Completed in 1964, the building is 749 feet (228 m) tall, with 52 floors, and is tied with others as the 114th-tallest in the United States. It contains 1.2 million sq ft (110,000 m2) of commercial and retail space. Including its radio mast, the tower's pinnacle height reaches 907 feet (276 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Custom House Tower</span> Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts

The Custom House Tower is a skyscraper in McKinley Square, in the Financial District neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The original building was constructed in 1837–47 and was designed by Ammi Burnham Young in the Greek Revival style. The tower was designed by Peabody and Stearns and was added in 1913–15. The building is part of the Custom House District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Square Mile</span> Neighbourhood in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The Golden Square Mile, also known as the Square Mile, is the nostalgic name given to an urban neighbourhood developed principally between 1850 and 1930 at the foot of Mount Royal, in the west-central section of downtown Montreal in Quebec, Canada. The name 'Square Mile' has been used to refer to the area since the 1930s; prior to that, the neighbourhood was known as 'New Town' or 'Uptown'. The addition of 'Golden' was coined by Montreal journalist Charlie Lazarus, and the name has connections to contemporary real estate developments, as the historical delimitations of the Golden Square Mile overlap with Montreal's contemporary central business district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kavanagh Building</span> Skyscraper in Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Kavanagh Building is a residential skyscraper in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Designed in 1934 by architects Gregorio Sánchez, Ernesto Lagos and Luis María de la Torre, it is considered a pinnacle of modernist architecture. At the time of its inauguration in 1936, the Kavanagh was the tallest building in Latin America surpassing the Palacio Salvo built in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1928, as well as the tallest building in the world with a reinforced concrete structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spite fence</span> Boundary developed to make a neighbors property worse

In property law, a spite fence is an overly tall fence or a row of trees, bushes, or hedges, constructed or planted between adjacent lots by a property owner, who is annoyed with or wishes to annoy a neighbor, or who wishes to completely obstruct the view between lots. Several U.S. states and local governments have regulations to prohibit spite fences, or related regulations such as those establishing a maximum allowed height for fences. In the United Kingdom, the terms spite wall or blinder wall are more commonly used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Heights</span> Architectural design by Frank Lloyd Wright

Crystal Heights was a design by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright for a hotel, apartment, and shopping complex in Washington, D.C. The project would have been built on one of the largest remaining undeveloped tracts in the city, known as the Oak Lawn estate or Temple Heights, on the edge of the Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle neighborhoods. The site was bounded by 19th Street, Columbia Road, Connecticut Avenue, and Florida Avenue, all in the northwest quadrant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Kee Building</span> Narrow commercial building in Vancouver, British Columbia

The Sam Kee Building, also known as the Jack Chow Building, is a two-storey commercial building in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, located near the entrance to the city's Chinatown. It is noted for its narrow depth, which varies by floor. The ground floor is 4 feet 11 inches (1.50 m) wide, while the upper floor spans 6 feet (1.8 m) because of its overhanging bay windows. Additionally, a basement extends under the sidewalk adjacent to the storefront. This discrepancy has led to a dispute with the Skinny Building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, over which commercial building is more narrow, as the Skinny Building has a consistent depth of 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m). Nonetheless, the Sam Kee Building is recognized by Guinness World Records as the "narrowest commercial building in the world" and by Ripley's Believe It or Not! as the "world's thinnest building".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">100 Cambridge Street</span> Office, retail, residential in Boston, Massachusetts

100 Cambridge Street, formerly the Leverett Saltonstall Building, is a high-rise building located in the Government Center district of Boston, Massachusetts. The building stands at 396 feet with 22 floors. It was completed in 1965 and underwent major renovation and expansion in the early 2000s. The building is just a few feet shorter than the 400-foot height required for inclusion on the list of tallest buildings in Boston. The architectural firm that designed the building was Emery Roth & Sons. The building is notable for its distinctive International style architecture. The building was named in 1969 for former Massachusetts governor and United States Senator Leverett Saltonstall until its closure in 1999. When first opened it housed state offices; it now houses a mix of residential, commercial, and state tenants. Since October 2017, it has been the home of Sattler College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin Place</span>

Franklin Place, designed by Charles Bulfinch and built in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1793–95, included a row of sixteen three-story brick townhouses that extended in a 480-foot curve, a small garden, and four double houses. Constructed early in Bulfinch's career, Franklin Place came after he had seen the possibilities of modern architecture in Europe and had determined to reshape his native city. It was the first important urban housing scheme undertaken in the United States, and the city's first row-house complex. However, years of decline and the push of industry into the area forced its demolition in 1858.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empire Building (Manhattan)</span> Residential building in Manhattan, New York

The Empire Building is an office building and early skyscraper at 71 Broadway, on the corner of Rector Street, in the Financial District of Manhattan in New York City. It was designed by Kimball & Thompson in the Classical Revival style and built by Marc Eidlitz & Son from 1897 to 1898. The building consists of 21 stories above a full basement story facing Trinity Place at the back of the building and is 293 feet (89 m) tall. The Empire Building is a New York City designated landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It is also a contributing property to the Wall Street Historic District, a NRHP district created in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skinny House (Boston)</span> House in Boston, Massachusetts

The Skinny House is an extremely narrow four-story house at 44 Hull Street in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is reported by the Boston Globe as having the "uncontested distinction of being the narrowest house in Boston." According to the executive director of the Boston Landmarks Commission, "In a city where there are many narrow lots, this far exceeds the norm. ... As far as we know, it is the narrowest house in Boston." According to local legend, it was built as a spite house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillender Building</span> Office skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The Gillender Building was an early skyscraper in the Financial District of Manhattan in New York City. It stood on the northwest corner of Wall Street and Nassau Street, on a narrow strip of land measuring 26 by 73 feet. At the time of its completion in 1897, the Gillender Building was, depending on ranking methods, the fourth- or eighth-tallest structure in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Shipman Payson Building</span>

The Charles Shipman Payson Building is the most recent expansion of the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) in Portland, Maine, located on the corner of High Street and Congress Square. Henry N. Cobb designed the Payson Building, which introduced over five times more gallery space than in the adjacent, historic PMA buildings. The building opened in 1983 after Mr. Payson donated 17 Winslow Homer paintings and ten million dollars to the museum. Similar in theme to these Homer paintings, the Payson building contains a collection of contemporary paintings and short-term exhibitions created by Maine artists, focusing on regional themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornstalk Heights</span> Historic house in Tennessee, United States

Cornstalk Heights is a neighborhood in Harriman, Tennessee, United States. Platted in the early 1890s as a residential area for Harriman's upper and professional classes, the neighborhood contains over 100 buildings added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 as a historic district for their architectural and historical significance. The neighborhood is named for the home of Harriman founder Frederick Gates, which once stood near the eastern end of the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skinny House (Mamaroneck, New York)</span> Historic house in New York, United States

The Skinny House in Mamaroneck, New York, was built in 1932 by African-American carpenter and building contractor Nathan Thomas Seely on an extremely narrow lot of donated land after he lost his home to foreclosure and his company to bankruptcy during the early years of the Great Depression. The 10 feet (3.0 m) wide house has 3 stories and was built on a 12.5 feet (3.8 m) wide plot of land sold to him by his neighbor, to whom he had earlier sold a larger plot of land. The house was constructed entirely from salvaged materials. The New York State Board for Historic Preservation noted “its efficient and beautiful design, careful engineering, and effective interior plan. Challenged by a narrow lot and minimal financial means, Seely created a house that demonstrated both his ingenuity and the desire to provide, above all else, housing for his family.” The Westchester County Historical Society said “its professional construction and ingenious design are a testimony to the dedication of a prominent black contractor to build a solid, functional, and delightful home. It represents both black enterprise and good neighborliness, and is architecturally significant as a symbol of American ingenuity and craftsmanship.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollensbury Spite House</span> Building in Virginia, United States

The Hollensbury Spite House is a spite house located at 523 Queen Street in Alexandria, Virginia. The narrow building measures 7-feet 6-inches wide and is often called the skinniest house in the United States. The house has drawn international attention, being covered by numerous news outlets, and was once featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. It is frequently visited by tourists who often pose in front of the building and is also included on local history tours. The house is 350 square-feet but also includes an outdoor patio and garden, providing additional entertaining space. Because of its narrow front door and small interior space, the house is decorated with smaller furniture pieces and antiques.

References

  1. 1 2 Kelly, John (2006-03-26). "John Kelly - Answer Man: In Search Of Houses That Spite Built". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  2. ↑ United States National Park Service, 1960, Historical American Building Survey: Spite (McCobb-Dodge) House - Page 2. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
  3. 1 2 McEowen, Roger (2018). "Negative Easements – Is There A Right To Unobstructed Light, Air or View? - Agricultural Law and Taxation Blog". lawprofessors.typepad.com. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  4. ↑ "Cold Spots: Tyler's Spite House - Dread Central". Dread Central. 13 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "FINLEX ® - Ajantasainen lainsäädäntö: Laki eräistä naapuruussuhteista 26/1920".
  6. ↑ "The challenge of renovating Marblehead's Spite House, where children and pets live harmoniously with antiques". Special. Boston Globe. October 14, 1984.
  7. 1 2 Miller, Margo (October 17, 1986). "Living by the sea - Boston's waterfront homes on tour.]". At home. Boston Globe. p. 29.
  8. 1 2 "Phippsburg.info - History". 2008-04-07. Archived from the original on 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  9. ↑ "Maine Memory Network - Spite House on Its Way to Rockport, 1925". Maine Memory Network.
  10. ↑ Survey, Historic American Buildings. ""Spite" House, Deadman's Point (moved from Phippsburg, ME), Rockport, Knox County, ME". www.loc.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  11. ↑ "Community - Town of Phippsburg, Maine" (PDF). phippsburg.com.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Williams, N (April 29, 1990). "This Maryland House was built just for spite". Travel. Los Angeles Times. p. 14.
  13. ↑ "A matter of Spite". The Frederick News-Post.
  14. 1 2 3 Bailey, Steve (2008-02-29). "A Tiny, Beloved Home That Was Built for Spite". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Cronin, Jim (February 13, 2005). "Living sideways down a skinny alley through a side front door". City Weekly. Boston Globe. p. 1.
  16. ↑ "Ask the Globe". National/Foreign. Boston Globe. November 21, 1997. p. C22.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Ames, James Barr; Smith Jeremiah. (1893) A Selection of Cases on the Law of Torts. Page 730.
  18. ↑ "Sues for Dower Rights; Louise Ann Burl's Claims as Capt. Richardson's Widow". The New York Times . 28 March 1895. p. 3.
  19. ↑ "Spite House". New York City Architecture. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  20. ↑ Jonathan, Goldman (1980). The Empire State Building Book. St. Martin's Press. p. 14.
  21. 1 2 "Topics of the times" (PDF). The New York Times. April 4, 1898. p. 6.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Hirsh, Linda B (April 17, 1994). "Walking Tour Puts the Traveler in 19th-Century Collinsville". Town News Extra. Hartford Courant. p. H1. Archived from the original on April 7, 2008.
  23. ↑ Hirsh, Linda B, April 17, 1994, Hartford Courant: "The Canton Time Machine; But There Are Some Places That Can Only Be Remembered." Section: Town News Extra; page H1.
  24. 1 2 Mason-Draffen, Carrie, March 30, 1997, Newsday: "Living In - Diversity Freely Spices Freeport". Section: Life; Page E25. The Freeport Spite House is located at the intersection of: Wilson Place, Long Beach Avenue, and Lena Avenue in Freeport, New York.
  25. ↑ Also see, Long Island Memories Collection : Item Viewer. Retrieved March 25, 2008 Five Corners, Freeport, L.I..
  26. 1 2 Rubin, Sylvia, January 7, 1988, San Francisco Chronicle: "Neighbor against neighbor; Mediators can resolve disputes." Section: People, Page B3. The Alameda Spite House is located at Broadway & Crist St, Alameda, CA 94501.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 Lloyd, Chris, January 5, 2005, The Northern Echo: "Echo Memories - Of feuds and fiefdoms in little Gainford." Page 8.
  28. ↑ The Princeton Union (May 30, 1907). "Spite Church". Chronicling America. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  29. 1 2 3 Bloom, Jonathan, February 2, 2003, Boston Globe: "Existing by the Thinnest of Margins. A Concord Avenue Landmark Gives New Meaning to Cozy." Section: City Weekly; Page 11. Location: 260 Concord Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138.
  30. ↑ "Contact AHI : Annie Hall Interiors – Cambridge, MA". Anniehallinteriors.com. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  31. 1 2 3 4 Barnett, Tracy, June 25, 2006, San Antonio Express-News: "Honey and blood." Section: Travel; Page 1L.
  32. ↑ Bolick, Kate (11 December 2015). "Plum Island's Pink House Inspires a Real Estate Fantasy". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  33. ↑ "Saving Plum Island's Pink House". Northshore Magazine. 5 March 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  34. 1 2 3 4 Koss, Bill, October 29, 2000, The Seattle Times: "Homing in on the city of the $15,000 sofa What's really old, strange and expensive? These things." Section: Pacific Northwest; Page 4. Location: 2022 24th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112.
  35. 1 2 3 Calvert, Brian (April 14, 2016). "Seattle's iconic pie-shaped 'spite house' is back on the market". KOMO.
  36. ↑ Reina, Laura (3 January 2006). "El Kavanagh y sus 70 años de historias" [The Kavanagh and its 70 years of stories]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. Retrieved 1 December 2013. Contrariada por la oposición de los Anchorena, Corina, algo resentida, quiso ensombrecer una hermosa obra arquitectónica que también hoy deleita a los turistas y transeúntes que pasean por Retiro: la iglesia del Santísimo Sacramento, que los Anchorena habían construido hacia 1920 para utilizarla como sepulcro familiar.
  37. 1 2 3 Lonsford, Michael (July 3, 1988). "Ghosts of Old West haunt Virginia City streets". Travel. Houston Chronicle. p. 1.
  38. ↑ Rishani, Sandra (2014). "Inhabiting a grudge". In Mashallah & Ami (eds.). Beirut Re-Collected. Beirut: Tamyras.
  39. ↑ George Lucas gets payback on neighbors - CNN Video, 18 April 2015, retrieved 2018-04-14
  40. ↑ "George Lucas to build affordable housing in one of the richest parts of America". CNET. 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
  41. 1 2 3 Reese, Diana (2013-03-21). "Rainbow house fights Westboro Baptist with love". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
  42. ↑ Nichols, James Michael (2016-06-27). "Westboro Members Now Live Next To House Painted Colors Of Transgender Flag". HuffPost. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
  43. ↑ "Equality House". Planting Peace. Retrieved 2018-07-22.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.