East Parkside: Local Resident Strives to Preserve History

Voices of Sean Solomon and Isabelle Dijols

https://vimeo.com/53381674]

While many residents of Parkside are doing their civic duty to keep the community clean and safe, Sean Solomon proves to be an avid historian who is striving to preserve the history of the many houses that have been abandoned and boarded up.

“I basically specialize in historic restoration,” said Solomon. “I don’t do any modern anything, I just don’t do it. People want me to put in a brand new door, I’m sorry, I don’t, I have no interest.”

Solomon, who resides on the 4200 block of Viola Street, has not only lent a helping hand to neighbors in the community who have revamped their houses, but has completely redesigned his house as an exact replica of what it was in the 1800s — from the ground up.

“I came into the neighborhood after I graduated college and started looking around,” said Solomon. “A lot of the neighbors were very welcoming and helpful and pointed me towards this house.”

A lot of people probably wouldn’t find beauty in a house that was previously filled with mass amounts of garbage, graffiti on walls and a handful of rats running around. However, Solomon took one look at the house and knew it was the one.

“It’s really amazing how much good stuff people throw away. I got a lot of my tools and knickknacks from things that neighbors were going to get rid of,” said Solomon. “One man’s trash really is another man’s treasure.”

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