Victorian Village humming with activity after years of neglect

By Amos Maki, The Daily News
Photo by Daily News/Andrew Breig

Around nine years ago Scott Blake was walking to St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral when he noticed a window in the tower at the historic James Lee House in Victorian Village had been blown out, exposing it to the elements. Blake, president of the Victorian Village Inc. Community Development Corp., was incensed that the window had not been replaced and began making inquiries about who should be making the repairs only to be told that he could fix the window himself if he cared so much.

So that’s just what he did. “I got to see the house and really fell in love with it,” Blake said. “I thought something’s got to be done with this or it’s going to be lost. It only had a few years left before it would be beyond repair.” Now, the Lee House, just like Victorian Village, is poised for a major comeback. Several projects in the pipeline, including the Lee House, will help breathe new life into the historic neighborhood.