Architect Louis Cherry’s unfinished home in Raleigh’s Oakwood historic district. The controversy over it has been covered by The New York Times and Vanity Fair. (photo from louischerry.com)
Is this house too modern to exist? In a historic district, at least?
If it were being built across the street from you, would you rally around the credo expressed in a New York Times headline: “Don’t Like Your Neighbors’ House? Sue Them.”
The house is in Raleigh’s Oakwood historic district. After being approved by the city’s historic commission, a neighbor has gone to extraordinary lengths to block it. And, incredibly, she has gotten construction halted with the house 85 percent complete.
The controversy has drawn in The Times, last Sunday (click here), and Vanity Fair, a few months ago (click here). It seems that only bad news attracts national news media attention. Let’s hope we never become so newsworthy.