39 Houses Left.
#42 was 3964 Celburne, the portion of the street that was close to Brumley. Since I am on the theme from prior posts, I also sold them girl scout cookies. There were LOTS of boys in the neighborhood (some swore there was something with the water), and a couple boys closer to my sister’s age lived at this house. I didn’t know them very well at all, but I am glad the family bought cookies from me nevertheless. How else would I have gone to Girl Scout Camp and won a badge and a dolly? Thank you, cookie eating primarily-male families of Bridgeton.
On a more serious note, this house never did sit right with me after one event. I don’t really know if this house was even the right home, but it was close enough to have been seriously affected.
The house was on the same side of Celburne as Carrollton Elementary and also backed up to Highway 270. When I was young, there was a death of a boy who lived on Celburne, who lived near the school. Since it happened 20 years ago, I don’t remember all the details, but I do remember it had something to do with the little boy climbing a fence near the school and getting onto the highway. I did not actually go to Carrollton (I went to a school for nerds), so I never knew who it was, or exactly which house he lived. I need to find out more about this story I had not thought about in recent years until I saw this house in the middle of demolition. There were three houses that could have been his, and this was one definitely one of the three. On the grounds where Carrollton Elementary once was, there is still a 20 year old tree that was planted in his name.
#41 and 40: 12777 and 12773 Woodford Way were next door neighbors, taken on the same day, one after the next. Although different in design, they were probably built together and they both came down together inside orange fencing surrounding the two. It was a spectacular site to see the bulldozer flatten 12773, roll over its remains, and hungrily gnaw into the side of 12777. Although it took about 20 minutes to take out both, it felt like only 5.
Maybe it is strange for one to study all the nuances of a neglected building, to become intimate in knowledge of its every broken pane and hallway carpet stain. Stranger still, to fall in love with its compositions created from looking through angled and webbed glass to dirty chandeliers dangling for dear life. Strangest of all to become excited, alive to watch the very spot that gave me so much beauty get crushed beyond recognition in minutes, becoming more exhilarated with each splitting crunch.
12777 gave me some of the best images I have, ones I want to use in future art shows. Yet, when it was destroyed the day after Christmas I felt like Lambert was giving me and this house both a grand Christmas present. For me, the gift was the time to say goodbye to a dear friend in witnessing a crazy, two-house demolition send-off. For the house itself, Lambert was giving it what it desperately needed- time to be laid to rest.
Like all the cute, neat, well-kept houses of Carrollton, this one in its prime was no exception. In fact, it probably had more finer, ornate details than most. Yet, almost as soon as the asbestos tags went on, so too was it game time for destruction. Five houses within the block somehow lost its posts in the same weekend. When the posts came down, so too did the facade overhangs, and this house was one of the victims. There were tire ruts in each of the yards, and some of the posts were dragged around the neighborhood. I could be wrong, and it could have just been a natural occurrence, but it seems to me that someone might have tied up the posts and had quite a game pulling out posts of 5 separate houses. I am sure its just me… after all, the area is being patrolled and managed quite well.
12773 Woodford was, at first, not very exciting at all. In fact, I was drawn more to its exquisite and better landscaped brother for most of my photography of Woodford Way. I have been wrong before as this house proved to be quite the gem. First, it had the most amazing, broken and hacked up side door that made for some great compositions. Next, one can never go wrong with a commode in the foyer. To add spice to the terrific flavor of the manor, the foyer itself was wallpapered with a deciduous forest mural, complete with an omnipotent portrait of a white tail deer. This many-pointed buck with a fine rack would forever stare at the viewer, daring it to shoot. Full of awesome indeed.
J. Desy Schoenewies
56 Houses Left 
You did a great job with the photos. I grew up in the house at 2005 Celbourne. A white house sitting between Lonsdale and Woodford Way. My parents built the house in 1958 and our family has been the only owners. I haven’t lived in the house since 1969. It was a rental from 1972 until the Airport commission bought it in the fall of 2006. I used to visit the area often and watched the destruction as it progressed but never had photos. Thanks for the album.