Marcella Archibeque is spitting mad that she can't obliterate her own bit of Gulf Coast history; she wants her historic shotgun cottage scraped off the face of the earth and sent to the big trash heap where other architectural victims of hurricane Katrina have gone.
But it's exactly because this shotgun style home -- or what is left of it -- is designated as "historic" that she's having trouble getting it bulldozed by the Army Corps of Engineers.
In order for the Corps to carry out a demolition of the building, it must first get approval from FEMA. FEMA, in turn, needs the Mississippi State Department of Archives and History to sign off on the demolition. That arrangement, multiplied by thousands along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, inevitably leads to confusion.
Archibeque says she's been waiting since October to have the demolition approved. FEMA says it's waiting for the state of Mississippi to give its approval and the folks at the Department of Archives and History say they are waiting for FEMA to send them the papers.
Until the papers resurface, with the Department of Archives and History's signoff, not a single brick or board is going to be moved from Archiebeque's historical home, unless she does it herself. She is perfectly free to do that -- at her own expense, of course.
"What historical site?" snaps Archibeque, a wispy woman with shining crown of white hair, stabbing the air in the direction of an above-ground pool filled with branches and brackish water. "Does this look historical to you? You tell your readers if they want an 'historical pool' they can just come over and have it!"
Archibeque says she only learned "through the grapevine" that her house was on the historical registry -- the official listing of historically significant buildings. But given its current condition, that categorization strikes her as absurd.
"(It) isn't historical anymore because years ago it was modified, redesigned and now it’s a mess," she says. "There’s nothing historical about it; it’s hysterical now."
Bulldozing history
The devastating toll that Katrina took on Mississippi's rich architectural history is only now becoming clear. Jennifer Baughn, an architectural historian with the state Department of Archives and History said that the storm destroyed 366 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and "severely damaged" another 367, which "will most likely be torn down." That accounts for nearly two-thirds of the 1,114 buildings listed on the register before the storm.
READ RELATED STORY: A great 'bump' of historic proportions
Comparable statewide figures are not available for Louisiana, but its richest concentration of historic buildings, some 37,000, are located in New Orleans. Of those homes, 11,000 were "damaged or destroyed" in some manner, according to Sue Sperry, a spokeswoman for the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, a non-profit group working to help save the historic properties. However, damage varied greatly among the 20 historic districts found in New Orleans. Of the 16,000 homes and buildings controlled by the city, only 172 -- or 1 less than 1 percent -- collapsed or are considered in imminent danger of collapsing, the city's Historic District Landmarks Commission reported recently.
Waveland and Bay St. Louis alone had 576 homes on the National Register of Historic Places, but lost 238 of them. "Katrina took them in a heartbeat," says Charles Gray, director of the Hancock County Historical Society.
Another 40 historic homes are "marginal," or probably salvageable, but "I hold no hope they will be," he adds. "No one has any say about what they can do. We can go to them and beg plead, but we have no legal authority if the owner arbitrarily decides to tear it down."
Gray says bitterly that he spent 10 years "trying to get the damned City Council to pass a preservation ordinance," but the members always wanted changes and the measure never was passed. If it had been, Gray says, would have put some restrictions on the modifications of historical properties owners could make, but the payoff would have been that owners of these homes could have applied to the state for grants and loans to help rebuild them.
With so much demolition waiting in the wings, architectural experts fear that much of the Gulf Coast's history and charm will simply be bulldozed for the sake of expediency.
"A lot of these people figure they can’t afford to restore their historic homes," Gray says. "One person I know is spending $225,000 to put their house back on its foundation -- it's a little shotgun style house -- and very few people have the means to do to that. So it’s the cost factor persuading them to do go head with demolition."
Baughn, the state historian, adds, "It’s incalculable how much history is going to be lost (because of people choosing to demolish homes)."
Baughn said that "for years after Camille hit" people bemoaned the fact that they didn't think long and hard before just demolishing their properties. "We hear it all that time, 'I shouldn't have torn down my place,'" Baughn says. "It’s incredibly frustrating and heartbreaking to see the pattern repeating and people don’t realize it."
Baughn says that her department has tried to talk to FEMA about the possibility of the agency subsidizing putting houses back on their foundations, which is all many of them require to be saved. But FEMA has "made it clear that they will tear these houses down no matter what; they have no interest in saving them," she says.
Stuck in Historical Limbo
Mary Van Pelt knew all about the historical value of the 100-year-old home she lost to Katrina. That was a big attraction to her when she bought it 2 1/2 years ago. But Katrina took it all; there's nothing really to save except perhaps some doors, architectural moldings and the like.
And so Van Pelt has asked that her property be demolished. But because her request is somehow "stuck" in the system, awaiting signoff by the Archives and History department, all Van Pelt can do is sit and wait and watch as her dream house forlornly awaits its fate.
But it gets worse.
Now working in Atlanta, Van Pelt has heard reports that her home is being looted, picked over by Katrina scavengers looking for anything they can carry away. Her beautiful French doors are broken or gone; the thieves apparently couldn't carry off the heavy old Franklin stove, "so they just shoved it around," .
"It feels like someone is picking my bones," she says, the pain of this final desecration evident in her voice. "After going through almost every emotion, this was the final blow, to hear that people are looting. At this point it’s bittersweet, (the demolition) has to be done so just go ahead and do it."
A pungent parade
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I agree...there is nothing "historic" about the property now. It's so sad and I'm so sorry for you.
Stacey, Indianapolis (Sent Mar 2, 2006 4:13:49 PM)
Very sad!!! They need to remove this from the property. Very sad for her too!!
Debbie Robbins (Sent Mar 2, 2006 4:54:44 PM)
I agree, rebuild,restore, bring the people back home and move on.
Buzzy, Ohio (Sent Mar 2, 2006 4:56:20 PM)
How sad it is that we are so quick to look at the ravaged remnants of history, and jump to scrape them away like mold on the pavement. One day we'll have no footprints of time to show our descendants. Shame of us.
Lynn Koozer, St. Petersburg, FL (Sent Mar 2, 2006 4:58:48 PM)
There is NOTHING historic left. It is sort of like the passing of a loved one. Let's get on with the burial so that we may heal and start anew. God bless you all.
Sandy Leath, Hilton Head Island, S. C.
Sandy Leath, Hilton Head Island, S. C. (Sent Mar 2, 2006 5:06:14 PM)
It seems red tape between the states and FEMA have completely disabled the residents of New Orleans from completing any kind of rehabilitation to their homes or communities. How can anyone fight this kind of governmental double talk? Perhaps FEMA has micromanaged themselves out of a job.
J. Mantz - Panama City, FL (Sent Mar 2, 2006 5:08:15 PM)
How sad it is that we are so quick to look at the ravaged remnants of history, and jump to scrape them away like mold on the pavement. One day we'll have no footprints of time to show our descendants. Shame on us.
Lynn Koozer, St. Petersburg, FL (Sent Mar 2, 2006 5:09:01 PM)
Get a grip, Lynn. It's her house, or what's left of it, and she wants it gone! I don't see a historical commission waiting to rebuild it for her. People need to use common sense. No shame in wanting to move on with your life.
Jimmy Reed, Mobile, AL (Sent Mar 2, 2006 5:38:47 PM)
Please help these folks to move on a start a new good life. They have gone through so much. God bless them all.
Cheryl Jensen Las Vegas,Nv. (Sent Mar 2, 2006 5:40:00 PM)
Our government is pathetic. The United States can't wait to help another country. But when the citizens of this supposely great nation need help we have to go through a bunch of red tape to get it. That's why we pay taxes, state taxes, and federal taxes. If someone wants there house demolished that's what should be done. When you have a Hurricane like Katrina there's nothing left to save.
Shawnda Carpenter, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Mar 2, 2006 5:49:33 PM)
If I had a bulldozer, I'd come down and let you take it for a ride!
Dana, Hampton VA (Sent Mar 2, 2006 6:11:52 PM)
u find a place for myself to stay, with food, water..
ill remove it...forget fema.
as strange as it seems..i am a carpenter and cant find work there, that will provide transportation..
james hair, galveston , texas (Sent Mar 2, 2006 6:20:39 PM)
I am also saddened that Ms. Archibeque and other owners of historic properties are bystanders in the interdepartmental issues between FEMA and MDAH. The process that requires MDAH to sign off on such work is called Section 106 Review and refers to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which provides a framework for review of federally funded, licensed, and permitted projects to determine whether or not they will have an adverse impact on properties listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. It seems, however, that the news article is to some degree blaming MDAH for the slow response; this is inappropriate. Nationally, State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) are notoriously underfunded and, as a result, have only very minimal staff. In some cases only one or two people may be responsible for the Section 106 review process for an entire state (and this includes all projects funded by federal grants; all FCC, OCC, FDIC, and other federally licensed projects; and Army Corps of Engineers projects to name but a few). Considering the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, it is unrealistic to expect even a staff of ten to be able to process all the requests for Section 106 Review. This is, however, a review system that works well and that we need to retain because—in all but the most extreme circumstances—it enables objective review of federal projects. I expect that MDAH is doing everything they can to keep up with the volume of requests but that the office, like all SHPOs along the Gulf Coast, is strapped for staff time to keep up with the work. My heart goes out to the homeowners whose properties and lives were destroyed by this event. Perhaps it would have been prudent for FEMA and other federal agencies to better coordinate for this process—it is something that federal agencies have always known about and should have been a stronger part of an overall disaster management plan.
Annie McDonald, Leesburg, Virginia (Sent Mar 2, 2006 6:34:59 PM)
I believe these agencies need to work together a little harder to expedite these requests rather than stall. This storm was not like Camille..it was worse. There is no way to restore what's left of some of the historic homes and sites. It can't be done. I have to admire the lady for being able to let go. Part of what has made this area 'home' for so many years, the gracious antebellum houses, the victorians, the shotgun houses, the elegant oak trees; these are all gone and sometimes you just can't get back what's been lost. If she can break with the past and start over I say more power to her. It ain't easy honey, I know! And I admire her strength and courage and deplore the beaurocracy that bars her progress.
Jane Simmons, Gulfport, MS (Sent Mar 2, 2006 6:49:58 PM)
the U.S. has built 586 schools 45 hospitals, many roads and many other necessary items needed for iraq to live again and they have done NOTHING in this country to help many of the people that are citizens here. Maybe if New Orleans declare war things would get done a lot faster.
John Dziedzic Ashton Illinois (Sent Mar 2, 2006 7:03:26 PM)
We know what FEMA is not doing..why are we not hearing of what they are doing?? I can find nothing nor do i see anything as to what is being done !!!
Gail Memphis, Tnn (Sent Mar 2, 2006 7:04:57 PM)
the U.S. has built 586 schools 45 hospitals, many roads and many other necessary items needed for iraq to live again and they have done NOTHING in this country to help many of the people that are citizens here. Maybe if New Orleans declare war things would get done a lot faster.
John Dziedzic Ashton Illinois (Sent Mar 2, 2006 7:05:49 PM)
Am I surprised? NO! the people in Port Arthur, Texas and the surrounding area are facing the same kinds of things. Katrina had the levess to break, but Rita carried the winds! People are seill waiting for help. We are Americans! We paid into the system! Now that we need help, our politicians turn their backs on us. What happened to America???
Brad Moseley, Windsor, CT (Sent Mar 2, 2006 7:09:40 PM)
Salvage what you can, rebuild, and use the salvaged items as a historic reminder of just how much a hurricane can take with it. My heart goes out to those who lost so much.
Stephanie Rush, Seabrook, TX (Sent Mar 2, 2006 7:11:21 PM)
Don't worry! This year we will see more storms from global warming that will cover any past remnants in sand. Time will heal beach-view over-population wounds. Even still the taxpayer will foot the bill by way of government "free" money. Did you get a tax "refund"?
Jimmy White, Woodbine,GA. (Sent Mar 2, 2006 7:11:27 PM)
I understand her stress but again if you purchase or inherit properties that are of historical value it is all part of it. The fact it was renovated and redesigned does not make it any less historical. The red tape she has to go through unfortunately is our way of life now. She has a small part of history and unfortunately what was left after Katrina is a mere memory of our past.
Nichelle Broussard Belue, Biloxi MS (Sent Mar 2, 2006 7:20:08 PM)
Actions speak louder than words. Why does everybody sit back and say you should have done this or that QUIT playing the blame game and get out there and help them. Do Not say you will help them just go help them. It is not about who's fault it is. The truth is these people need help and they need it now.They want their life back and you would to. Put yourself in their shoes bush if it was Texas you would NOT be fogged out by the war.
LETS HELP THEM EVERYBODY
Love you New ORLEANS
Shannon Lakes
Shannon Lakes (Sent Mar 2, 2006 7:36:58 PM)
what i would like to know is why our goverment can spend billions of our taxpayers money to rebulid Iraq, and when a natural dister stikes our country our own goverment just don't care. what is wrong with this picture
colleen wheadon, kingston, pa (Sent Mar 2, 2006 8:12:04 PM)
It's strange that we have a President who has time to go to India to give then nuclear assistance for mangoes but won't take time to help those suffering in our own country. We need the red tape cut NOW so the people on the coast can get back to their lives.
Mindy, Farmington, MO (Sent Mar 2, 2006 8:15:55 PM)
I think it's unfair that you can't get help to either rebuild or remove. How sad that you have to be looted when the answer is so clear. Let the homeowner decide.
Becky Lancaster Ohio (Sent Mar 2, 2006 8:32:09 PM)
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