Mansion to lose second parapet, but it'll be saved
5/29/2003The lopsided Bartley Mansion is about to lose its second parapet, but this time the ornate stone structure will be preserved.
Neighborhoods in Partnership, a nonprofit group that manages the Museum Place apartments, plans to empty its $21,000 reserve fund to save the stone parapet and fix the stairs leading up to the entrance of the Bartley Mansion at 1855 Collingwood Blvd.
“This is the only chateau-esque style building in Toledo,” said Kathleen Kovacs, NIP's executive director.
“We wanted to remove the parapet before it fell so that if we ever find the money, we can put it back.”
Wealthy grocer Rudolph Bartley built the grand mansion in 1905.
After his death about 10 years later, the building was used as a mortuary until the early 1970s, said Matt Wiederhold, NIP's development specialist.
In the late 1970s, the right top parapet crumbled off the mansion and was destroyed.
The building sat vacant for the two decades, falling victim to vandalism and water damage.
A developer renovated the mansion in the mid-1990s, converting it to apartments in the Museum Place complex.
“It's one of the last major mansions left on Collingwood,” Mr. Wiederhold said. “When it was first built, it was pretty stunning and spectacular.”
NIP plans to remove the remaining parapet in the next month, Ms. Kovacs said.
After the stone is stored in a safe place, inspectors will examine the top of the building more closely for structural damage.
Most of the money for the repairs will come from a building reserve fund. NIP maintains the fund with a portion of Museum Place rents.
Ms. Kovacs said removing the mansion's stone parapet will cost an estimated $14,000.
Estimates for repairing the steps are about $16,500.
The total estimated cost exceeds the amount of money in the building reserve fund by $9,500. Ms. Kovacs said NIP is looking into grants to pay for the portion of the project not covered by the fund.
“What Toledo really needs is a mechanism to maintain these older historic buildings,” she said.
Steve Herwat, Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commission president, said the ultimate responsibility for the Museum Place (ME1) apartments rests with the city of Toledo.
He said that if the apartments ran out of money but needed emergency repairs, the city likely would provide funding.