Top-O-Rock
Henry Elden was
an architect who built his beautiful home and office in Charleston WV
in 1968 which was demolished in 2015 after his death. The reason for it's removal was
that parking for a large office was cost prohibitive and the fact that
by the time all was said and done, vandals had destroyed the house to
the point that it wasn't cost feasible to try to remodel it and bring
it back to life. Most homes with an unusual design suffer the same
fate, in that you cant just go out to Lowe's and purchase materials
needed. These types of homes had construction that was designed
just for them and them alone. This home was a nationally
acknowledged architectural landmark had been featured in numerous
publications including a special on Home & Garden Television.
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This image shows how it all started, on a hill
overlooking the South Side Expressway and Kanawha River. Who
would ever dream about building a home around this rock? Only 2
people: Frank Lloyd Wright and Henry Elden
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After Mr. Elden died, the home started down hill....
By the time it was all over, only the rock remained.
Some photos courtesy of Ted Elden
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VIDEO'S
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVIuO5UzO1o
Demolition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh1o-AGjThY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpI1oJMiLRo
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