Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 1:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Can anyone e-mail me and tell me why the comments on the WCSO were disabled? I had asked why their Homeland Security truck was doing 80 in a 55 mph zone near Fayette on Hwy 61 on Wednesday.

Posted by mike8427 (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 7:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Glad to hear people are pitching in, it still bothers me that this Dr. Vaughan isn't doing anything but sitting back and watching others do his work.

Posted by itsmemame (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 7:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)

All of the volunteers are to be commended for their efforts to preserve this beautiful property. However, the owner, Dr. Tom Vaughn, is a PINHEAD!!! (to use a Bill O'Reilly label). He is a prime example of one of the many "leeches" in this "give me" society. There maybe some extenuating circumstances surrounding his personal situation that we have not been made aware of, but here is a man who appears to be financially fortunate who would rather sit back and let someone else take care of his responsibilities.

Posted by SayItRight (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 7:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Cheap and weird. Plain and simple. Always was and always will be.

Posted by speakeasy (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It is truly amazing that Vaughn won't keep up his place. He's had offers to buy the property for many years and has, at least in the past, refused to sell.

But, the point to be made here is that the community cares about the historical treasures in this city. Enough so, that they're volunteering their expertise, time, equipment. And I think those who are helping out here recognize the value of these properties in relationship to the current and potential economic value of our heritage tourism industry. We have much to be thankful for as citizens in this community.

Posted by sunkitty (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

You all are right - it is a shame that Vaughn sits back and does nothing. He has a sister who lives in Natchez. I don't know what the situation is there.
Thank the good Lord for these people who are stepping up to the plate and doing something to keep a valuable property from destruction.

Posted by lambchop (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 9:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Kudos to these entities supplying surveillance equipment and know-how and to Edgin for taking care of the grounds. Vaughn has been a disgrace in actions and in compliance. No one comes in and cleans my yard or does anything else for free and I am sure I have less income than he does. However, I am grateful that the home is being saved.

Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Farmer and Edgin are to be praised for their efforts, no doubt. I have a feeling the cameras won't last long, as vandals will immediately destroy them. So I hope they are well concealed after installation.

It would be nice if Arlington could be renovated, there is no doubt that any additional antebellum home would be a valuable asset, if someone will take care of it and participate in the tourism business.

Dr. Vaughn should still be punished for his negligence somehow

You'd think he would at least consider the potential profit and for his own family history WANT to keep the place up and participate in pilgrimage tourism. I agree, he is certainly a PINHEAD. In years, visitation fees alone would pay for the renovation and add to the already outstanding collection of antebellum mansions that no other city has. Natchez can really be proud of it's concentration of antebellum homes.

But I still say doze down all the other delapidated empty condemned buildings around MLKI, Franklin, St. Catherine St.

It's amazing what a little threat of demolition will do.

Way to go Natchez Inspectors, City Planners, et al and Historic Preservationists.

Posted by ntzgrl (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 11:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I think its just a waste of money. and that if they are going to do that to Arlington. Why not to this FBC they talked about restoring. Or all the OTHER places kids put vandalism. Bungie for instance.

Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 11:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"Project 5000
In 2002, Mayor O'Malley launched Project 5000, an inventive and ambitious effort to return 5,000 vacant and abandoned properties to productive use. Project 5000 was a new approach, combining aggressive tax sale foreclosures with traditional condemnations and property transfers. It called on local law firms, title companies, businesses and realtors for expedient and discounted services. By January of 2005, Baltimore Housing had gained title to all 5,000 properties and increased the number of annual property acquisitions tenfold. Aggressive acquisition and disposition efforts continue. To date, 5,758 properties have been acquired through Project 5000 and, more importantly, 1,700 have already been conveyed, sold, or programmed for redevelopment."

"Policy Development
Transforming vacant properties into community assets requires a wide array of policy reforms. Public officials, business leaders, and community groups are constantly seeking to change state laws and local ordinances to facilitate the revitalization of vacant properties. For example, more states could streamline their statutes and county processes for the foreclosure of tax delinquent properties. Enabling local governments and CDCs to file receivership actions is another policy reform that several states are exploring at the behest of local governments and CDCs."

http://www.vacantproperties.org/strategi...
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
http://www.googlesyndicatedsearch.com/u/...

Abolishing property rights has become a fairly easy thing to do in our new America. What about when your property becomes an issue? Does the public then have more rights than you?

Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 11:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Well that's good. Good things can happen when we stop complaining and start to do things ourselves.

Posted by pbnj (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 11:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

ntzgrl
the first baptist church has an owner that is putting out effort. Her building plans were put on hold by the city, so while that was getting cleared up she started another restoration to fill the time.I was told she will continue the work shortly. I think it is wonderful someone has intentions to restore it. I strongly believe the guidelines of the city help keep our small town charm, but I hope too much nit-picking does not run a developer like this out of town. It is not like she is trying to build some monstrosity on the bluff, she is simply taking something that is in need of help, and not tearing it down but fixing it. Which I think that if we made more use of what we already have, it would clean up a lot of run down places.

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Yeah clean up Arlington and then get it out of the hands of that owner somehow. He doesn't deserve that beauty.

Posted by notfromnatchez (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Tear it down.

Posted by ladyrider (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 2:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Let's designate the Sears building in Tracetown as demolition by neglect. That place is a real eyesore.

Posted by SayItRight (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I hope the owner has signed some kind of release or legal agreement not to come back and sue organizations or companies for altering his property. You never know.......or maybe he'll sell it after someone else improves it for him. That would be good. Someone who would take pride in it.

They could bill him and when he doesn't pay, put a lien on the property..........who knows where this will go. The saga continues.

Posted by RobinBrownHayes (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think it is wonderful that these gentlemen are donating their time and services. I would be willing to donate time myself if someone got a plan going to have volunteers show up on a Saturday and do some cleaning up and just general upgrading. I would gladly drive the 2 hours it would take me to get there.

I hope this comment doesn't get removed like the one on the prior article about Arlington did. I can't imagine why it did unless I stepped on some of my "family's" toes when I commented on how things can get really bad when the matriarch of the family passes away and that the back biting and ankle nipping begins. But I figure that if it hit close to home then all they can do is better themselves to not have it happen.

Posted by eagles (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 3:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think it's great that people are stepping forward to save this home. I think sayitright has the right idea on sending the owner a bill and siezing the property if he doesn't pay. If this were my family home, I would rather sell it than to let it get this run down. I am curious about something. Did this man (the owner) leave a key with someone? If so, maybe other people will pull together and donate time for clean up and repairs on the inside also. I have always been drawn to that house for some reason and would love to see it restored. It would be nice if the Democrat would print more pictures (inside and outside) of the house. Maybe even do a story on the history of the home in a series of articles. I think the people would enjoy that since so many have expressed concerns over the demolition.

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Key? No I think no key is required or needed at this point.

Posted by Ken (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 8:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Had your eye on it for years huh? Those surveillance cameras may help keep you out of trouble. I hope so anyway.

Posted by natcheznative (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 8:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You have all missed the point. There are people who want to buy Arlington but he will not sell it. He doesn't have the money to fix it. The people who are threatening to condem it are hoping he will donate it like the house next to the water tower. Then they can give to someone who has money to restore it. Maybe the city should raise the property taxes by re-appraising it and he probably could not afford to pay them.

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 9:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This man is an anesthesiologist who makes a ton of money but is so cheap he will sleep in the hospitals he works in!

Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 9:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Until recently natcheznative, private property under our system of law was considered inviolate. So, a property owner could not be forced to sell his land if he did not want to. Of course such concepts are alien to the Cult of House Worshippers, COHWS, who have taken over Natchez and who feel they have a right to control ownership and use of property as they see fit, whether they own it or not.

Posted by natcheznative (anonymous) on July 26, 2008 at 5:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The mantles etc. are being stored somewhere, they were removed by the doctor's relative. I don't think the doctor practices anymore therefore he does not make a ton of money. People need to stop thinking that anyone who has an antebellum home in thier history is rich. It is just not true anymore.

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on July 26, 2008 at 6:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The man is insane! He is a "Natchez Loon".

Posted by been_there (anonymous) on July 26, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

notfromnatchez, Since you are not from natchez I suggest you go back from where you came. I guess you are one of these folks who would have the government tear down the White House or other historical buildings in the horrible event they would catch fire? All historical buildings should be saved.
Dr. Vaughan's license has been taken away from him so he cannot practice. I just wonder where he is and how Mimi found him?
And as for a key, what a joke! All the windows were blown out from the heat of the fire. All you'd have to do is crawl in. But as someone else said, the vandals have gotten to it. I hope the person who damaged the mirror cut himself, because the backing on those old mirrors has mercury in it. This was the reason they were not removed. No one dare touch them for fear of getting mercury poisoning. The experts would not even touch them.

Posted by natcheznative (anonymous) on July 26, 2008 at 4:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Actually the volunteers that were trying to get everything out of the house while it was still burning broke the mirrors so that they could save the gilt frames. All this stuff is at the Historic Foundation being stored.

Posted by abc747 (anonymous) on July 26, 2008 at 5:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You can find Dr. Thomas A. Vaughan's address in the Jackson, MS phone book, available in numerous places online. I'm sure he would enjoy receiving a barrage of letters from all you detractors. His medical license was revoked 5 years ago, so he has nothing better to do than read his mail.

Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 26, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I wonder if the HNF has thought about licensing any of those items taken from Arlington for reproduction in the Natchez line. Does anyone know? That could help raise some money for fixing the old house up.

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on July 26, 2008 at 7:47 p.m.

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on July 26, 2008 at 7:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Good idea EnKiKur.

Posted by stumpy (anonymous) on July 27, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I do know that remainig houses need attention to maintain there integrity. These houses are not rock castles. They are money pits. So what if Vaughn did what he did or does what he does. Natchezians need to preserve what is left. The economy is a wreck. So concentrate on the ones you can save. Don't sink on the ones that are high risk. I love Natchez, but I have never understood the fuss over the Those things that cause us to bicker and lose friends over. Thats why I moved 30 miles away.

Posted by natcheznative (anonymous) on July 27, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

HNF doesn't really have much say about what furnitures get reproduced. People from New York come down ocassionally and make those decisions. by the way the pier table left on the wall was too big to get off the wall without destroying it. The mirror was already broken and someone was going to build a wooden box to put around it to try and save it from any futher damage.
People should stop saying these awful things about the owner. The only pertinent thing is does he have the money to restore the house? probably not--so people are trying to rattle his cage in hopes that he will sell it. Otherwise he will have to board it up and chain it up to "secure" it and that will be that. It is valuable property, imagine if a developer/builder got it and subdivided it like Linden, Oakland, Elgin, etc. Isn't Egin a builder?

Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on July 30, 2008 at 12:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I was at Arlington and helped move the furniture out. Many pieces survived quite well and I can't remember if the mirror was intact prior (or even after the fire) I know several mirrors had been badly cracked prior to the fire and the only way to safely move the wet frame was to break the glass out prior to moving. I do remember leaving the pier mirror as it was wet and would have been damaged by being moved. It was in an area that the roof and ceiling looked OK so it was left so it could dry out and then be moved at a later date. I think the mirror was not broken at the time as we moved all the other mirrors.

Arlington after the fire would have been easily restored most of the downstairs was in pretty good condition (It was not pristine prior to the fire) and after the roof was replaced it could have been made weather tight by some repairs to the windows. The problem is empty houses get vandalized and Arlington was being looted even prior to the fire.

I hope that Tom will consider selling Arlington to someone with the means to restore and inhabit Arlington. Arlington is an important house Architecturally (Not just for Natchez) and deserves to be loved. The grounds could also be beautifully restored. All it will take is a miracle for Tom to sell and someone with really deep pockets to pay for the restoration and to furnish it appropriately. (The restoration might be the cheaper part)

I hope Arlington has a good future ahead.