Save the Historic Conti Street Houses!
Save the Historic Conti Street Houses!
The Issue
Let your voice be heard and help us stop the historic 918 and 920 Conti Street homes from being moved out of their historic district in Mobile, AL!
Here's what's happening:
A local organization, registered as a non-profit, called the Historic Restoration Society owns a large portion of property on which several buildings sit, including the Infant Mystics' float barn and Cotton Hall. This property also includes two residential homes: 918 and 920 Conti St.
918 and 920 Conti Street are zoned residential and are not a part of their Planned Unit Development, or PUD, of Cotton Hall.
The Historic Restoration Society purchased 918 and 920 Conti St in 2015 and they have sat empty since, behind the iron fence that encompasses the rest of their property. After the initial purchase, they told neighbors they would fix up the houses to a better condition.
On Monday, May 22, 2023, neighbors noticed 918 was being separated from its foundation and being put up onto moving beams by a company called Fauver House Movers. According to the movers, they were moving 918 and 920 Conti St to Frisco City, AL. They did not have a permit or any of the proper paperwork or permissions to do so.
The city issued a stop work order the next day, Tuesday, May 23rd.
According to Councilman William Carroll (because they have not spoken directly to anyone else), the Historic Restoration Society “donated” the houses to “a group.” No one from the Historic Restoration Society or the new "group" has made an official comment, so we cannot confirm the validity of this statement.
On May 24th, that “group” filed for a permit to move the historic houses out of the city of Mobile.
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Why these houses cannot and should not be moved:
First, moving these historic houses is a direct violation of Mobile Historical Zoning codes and ordinances. Therefore, in effect, such action breaks the law.
If these historic houses are allowed to be moved out of Mobile, this sets a dangerous precedent for ALL our historic neighborhoods.
If these houses were moved out of their original places, it would isolate the only other house in this stretch of Conti St. The residents of 922 Conti St will no longer have any direct neighbors.
Furthermore, there are only 6 residential homes left on the entire east end of Conti St between Common St and Broad St. Losing 2 of them would be devastating and detrimental to the entire Common St Historic District and the Old Dauphin Way Historic District.
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By signing this petition, you are letting the City of Mobile know you oppose the removal of historic homes out of historic districts in Mobile.
Your signature will be presented in protest to the City Council, the Architectural Review Board, the Mobile Historic Development Commission, and Mayor Sandy Stimpson.
Thank you for taking the time to fight for historic preservation and for the preservation of our neighborhoods in Mobile, Alabama.
2,231
The Issue
Let your voice be heard and help us stop the historic 918 and 920 Conti Street homes from being moved out of their historic district in Mobile, AL!
Here's what's happening:
A local organization, registered as a non-profit, called the Historic Restoration Society owns a large portion of property on which several buildings sit, including the Infant Mystics' float barn and Cotton Hall. This property also includes two residential homes: 918 and 920 Conti St.
918 and 920 Conti Street are zoned residential and are not a part of their Planned Unit Development, or PUD, of Cotton Hall.
The Historic Restoration Society purchased 918 and 920 Conti St in 2015 and they have sat empty since, behind the iron fence that encompasses the rest of their property. After the initial purchase, they told neighbors they would fix up the houses to a better condition.
On Monday, May 22, 2023, neighbors noticed 918 was being separated from its foundation and being put up onto moving beams by a company called Fauver House Movers. According to the movers, they were moving 918 and 920 Conti St to Frisco City, AL. They did not have a permit or any of the proper paperwork or permissions to do so.
The city issued a stop work order the next day, Tuesday, May 23rd.
According to Councilman William Carroll (because they have not spoken directly to anyone else), the Historic Restoration Society “donated” the houses to “a group.” No one from the Historic Restoration Society or the new "group" has made an official comment, so we cannot confirm the validity of this statement.
On May 24th, that “group” filed for a permit to move the historic houses out of the city of Mobile.
---
Why these houses cannot and should not be moved:
First, moving these historic houses is a direct violation of Mobile Historical Zoning codes and ordinances. Therefore, in effect, such action breaks the law.
If these historic houses are allowed to be moved out of Mobile, this sets a dangerous precedent for ALL our historic neighborhoods.
If these houses were moved out of their original places, it would isolate the only other house in this stretch of Conti St. The residents of 922 Conti St will no longer have any direct neighbors.
Furthermore, there are only 6 residential homes left on the entire east end of Conti St between Common St and Broad St. Losing 2 of them would be devastating and detrimental to the entire Common St Historic District and the Old Dauphin Way Historic District.
---
By signing this petition, you are letting the City of Mobile know you oppose the removal of historic homes out of historic districts in Mobile.
Your signature will be presented in protest to the City Council, the Architectural Review Board, the Mobile Historic Development Commission, and Mayor Sandy Stimpson.
Thank you for taking the time to fight for historic preservation and for the preservation of our neighborhoods in Mobile, Alabama.
2,231
Petition Updates
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Petition created on May 25, 2023