Fire traps and eyesores

The Hayford property at Hammond and Franklin
Photo: Courtesy of Dick Shaw via Bangor Daily News

  The people in the City of Bangor, Maine were worried in 1914 about the condition of some buildings in the City which were dilapidated and a danger.  The City had experience a terrific fire in 1911 and people were jumpy.
  The property in the photo was a topic of discussion among some.  Owned by the Hayford Estate, a wealthy family of the former Mayor, the property had already had a shed burn and people were nervous about the remainder.  The Hayford family responded by moving in a couple of sons of the family so it would be secured as a residence.  It didn't work.  The buildings were torn down, eventually, and replaced.
  That corner became the home of the District Court which is now the U S Post Office, the court having moved to new digs in 2012.
  I should note that the City of Bangor is once again in the process of tearing down firetraps.  There's a cycle you know.
  Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2014/12/21/living/downtown-fire-traps-eye-sores-bothered-bangoreans/