I recently bought a group of old Chester pictures, sadly many not identified. Looking for an address on this home and any other information.
Note: We take car garages for granted today but 100 years ago when everyone was buying cars what was considered a garage was open to interpretation read below.
BUILDING LAWS OF CHESTER NOT VERY CREDITABLE
Either Too Antiquated or Not Strictly
Enforced as a Whole
Every city has some spots that are not
creditable to the municipality or anyone else.
Chester seems to have more than its share. Just to whose carelessness this should be
charged is rather hard to say. Much that
is not pleasant to look at comes under the building laws of the city. Either the building laws are antiquated or
not strict enough, or else city and State laws are made with little or no
thought of them being enforced.
Since the advent of the automobile,
Chester has become honeycombed with buildings of a flimsy and displeasing style
of architecture. In fact, the style and
character of buildings termed garages, and used to house motor machines, are in
very many cases a disgrace to both the city and the owner.
A type of “garage” located in a
residential section, not far from the very heart of the city, is shown in
connection with this article. From its
appearance it would lead one to believe that no permit was ever issued for its
construction. It bears all the earmarks
of a violation of even the crude and inefficient building code under which the
city is operating. The building (?) referred
to is only one of many similar shacks that ought to be torn down.
Where gasoline is used, too much care
cannot be exercised. Buildings of the
character coming within the danger class are a menace. Many of them are situated in such localities that
are closely built upon and, because of that fact, they become a fire hazard.
Aside from this danger feature they
are an eyesore and tend to brand the city as a municipality quite indifferent
to its best interest. Whatever tends to
lesson pride and attractiveness of any municipality makes for indifferent
citizenship and slip-shod city management.
It is said that chicken coops have
been converted into automobile garages (?) overnight in Chester. Be this as it may, not a few of these
so-called garages were never designed by an architect, and no doubt none of
them ever received the sanction of the building inspector’s department. The building laws under which the city is now
operating are mostly based on old acts of Assembly. They refer to acts passed in 1867 and
1872. This is harkening back too
far. When these Acts of Assembly were
passed the automobile was unknown.
However, all this is no valid excuse.
Every city has a right to enact such ordinances that will protect life
and property, and tend to beautify and add value to home surroundings. No person has a right to do anything that
justifies a complaint from his neighbor.
Just because one pays taxes is no
reason why one should usurp the prerogatives of the families of the community
and make things generally unpleasant for others.
The Act of Assembly approved March 29,
1872, and on which many of the present building laws of Chester are based,
specifically states that “it shall be unlawful for any person or persons to
erect or build or suffer or cause to be built, any frame building or frame
erections of any description whatever, within sixty street, lane, alley or
court, within the limits of said City of Chester.”
The Act of Assembly, approved the 3rd
day of April, A. D., 1867, or other building, within said city (Chester), shall
front upon any street, alley or court,
which shall be less in width than twenty feet, or such street, alley or
court shall be of that width, the buildings on each side equally receding.”
It should be remembered that both of
the above acts of Assembly were specifically passed for the benefit of
Chester. Can anyone tell how many times
the provisions of the acts above cited have been violated? Take a walk through most any alley and then
note what you find.
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