Value in preserving a historic home’s character

It may not be one of the 613 Mitzvos of Hashem, BUT in our case it is a commandment from our town.
The main wing of our home was built in 1803 by a prominent local family. A picture of the home hangs in the Town’s Historical Society building and another in Town Hall. There is a plaque on the front of the house over the door with the name of the original owner and date of construction.
We are obligated to maintain the integrity of structure and design as seen from the street,
There was a major addition in 1903.
In 2003, Mrs. CTL (who is a designer/builder) went before the Zoning Boards and Historical commissions and received permission for an additional wing that can not be seen from the street. The views visible to neighbors must be harmonious with the earlier construction with wood siding, painted white with black trim. The entire rear of the house facing our woods and property is glass with soaring roof lines, skylights, etc.

When Mrs. CTL wanted a ‘statement piece on the front lawn, it took years of negotiation for approval from the town. They finally allowed us to park an 1892 horse drawn carriage (without horses) with black cabriolet roof on a 45 degree angle to the street from April 1, to Nov 1 of each year. It has been borrowed fro use in our town’s annual historical parade.

It is as much as a mitzvah as would maintaining a non-historic home in good condition with attention to its appearance and how it affects neighboring homes. We read here frequent complaints about how yidden often fail to pay attention to the upkeep of their homes relative to their neighbors by not maintain the landscaping, paving the lawn to park cars, not cutting the lawn (if there still is one) , putting out too many bags of trash motzi Shabbos and yom-tovim w/o taking care they are tied up, leaving childrens’ toys lying in the front yard,etc. All of these factors have a big impact on the visual quality of life in a neighborhood and are as important as painting an historic home in the right color, not using period doors and window in a remodeling project etc. As yidden, we should always strive to be a model neighbor and comply with housing codes, HOA rules etc.

Meno….”we” obviously have a (reading) issue…I’ve read multiple stories on this and other frum websites about efforts to restrict expansion of frum neighborhoods, location of shuls and mosdos etc., many of which focus on the “excuses” provided for blatantly anti-Semitic efforts to exclude yidden…first and foremost are that large frum families somehow don’t keep up the properties or are not good neighbors. sadly many of these allegations come from other jews in the same neighborhoods. As to my “hated” of religious yidden, I’ll just wish you a g’mar tov and leave it at that.