Ever since The Vampire Diaries series kicked off on that fateful fall day in 2009, the Salvatore Boarding House has become an important fixture in the Mystic Falls community and our lives. Unfortunately, it appears as though some people don’t appreciate beautiful, immaculate architecture as much as we do; in fact, this mansion, known as Glenridge Hall in the non-supernatural world, might soon be torn down.
That’s right, it might be bulldozed into a pile of rubble as early as next week. We don’t know about you, but not only is this a blatant disrespect to all the incredible moments that have taken place inside the house (steamy kisses, game-changing twists, heartbreaking farewells, brotherly hugs, declarations of love, etc), but 86 years of Sandy Springs history, too. Aside from film shoots, real-life weddings and benefits have been hosted here, so clearly this 12,000 square-foot Tudor-style location holds a lot of fond memories for local residents — not just the TVD fandom.
According to Creative Loafing Atlanta, luxury homebuilder Ashton Woods has purchased all 76 acres of land and “intends to develop the 47-acre heavily-wooded parcel to the north” while “Mercedes Benz USA plans will build its new 250,000-square-foot headquarters on a 12-acre parcel south of the [Abernathy] Road.” Unfortunately, the family that owns the place — the Maysons — cannot afford the expensive upkeep such a sprawling estate requires. And this is not just speculation, folks! There are documents that prove this exquisite manor, despite being in pristine condition, might be gone any time between April 1 and September 5.
Here are more details about the upcoming demolition:
“Preservationists, who predicted the wrecking ball given an estate auction of the home’s furniture and art work held last weekend, consider Glenridge Hall an important fixture of metro Atlanta’s architectural history. Melissa Swindell, director of historic resources and education programs at Heritage Sandy Springs, says the house and surrounding grounds are a “historic gem” that has played an important role in the city’s history. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation had named the historic site to its 2015 “Places of Peril” list.”
“In my 29 years working in historic preservation, this is probably the most unnecessary demolition I’ve ever seen,” Georgia Trust President and CEO Mark McDonald says. Read more HERE!
Thanks to TVD fan Abigail Rowland, there’s now a petition going around! Click HERE to sign it and help save Damon and Stefan’s home from ruin! I’ve signed! Come on everyone help save this beautiful mansion!!
