Obama tore down Robin's Nest with video

[Pahonu]

I was there a couple years ago...sad to see it tore down, but in all honesty it was pretty worn out even when the original series was being filmed. Moss and mold were very evident in the exterior as well as interior walls in many screen shots. The few scenes where you see the inside if the garage, it hardly looks the part of a stately manor. I would imagine to restore the place would have been astronomical. I'm no fan of Obama, but can't say I can blame them. It is cool they appear to be saving the gate house and boat/guest house.

A former member of the forum who I keep in touch with was able to get some items from the estate before it was torn down. He had a finial from one of the balconies and some other hardware. A friend of his took a tour of the grounds as a potential buyer and got them for him. That said, no potential buyers were able to go inside the main house because water intrusion had caused such damage to the floors they were considered unsafe to walk on in areas. That gives you a more than a little idea of the extent of the damage and disrepair. Sadly, it was almost inevitable that the sale was going to mean a tear down. It is fortunate that the two smaller structures were saved. So many people don’t understand the circumstances and cast blame in their comments because they are angry or sad. Maybe it makes them feel better about losing something we all cherished here on the forum, but it just isn’t that simple.

[T.Q.]

I was there a couple years ago...sad to see it tore down, but in all honesty it was pretty worn out even when the original series was being filmed. Moss and mold were very evident in the exterior as well as interior walls in many screen shots. The few scenes where you see the inside if the garage, it hardly looks the part of a stately manor. I would imagine to restore the place would have been astronomical. I'm no fan of Obama, but can't say I can blame them. It is cool they appear to be saving the gate house and boat/guest house.

A former member of the forum who I keep in touch with was able to get some items from the estate before it was torn down. He had a finial from one of the balconies and some other hardware. A friend of his took a tour of the grounds as a potential buyer and got them for him. That said, no potential buyers were able to go inside the main house because water intrusion had caused such damage to the floors they were considered unsafe to walk on in areas. That gives you a more than a little idea of the extent of the damage and disrepair. Sadly, it was almost inevitable that the sale was going to mean a tear down. It is fortunate that the two smaller structures were saved. So many people don’t understand the circumstances and cast blame in their comments because they are angry or sad. Maybe it makes them feel better about losing something we all cherished here on the forum, but it just isn’t that simple.

It was definitely an emotional reaction.

If I had had $100M and thought of buying the Estate, it wouldn't have necessarily meant the original house could have been saved anyway.

I would have designed a similar looking house (tried to recreate it a bit) but it sounds like no matter what it had to come down.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I would have designed a similar looking house (tried to recreate it a bit) but it sounds like no matter what it had to come down.

This! In fact I would have replicated the same exact house on that very spot.

[NotthatRick]

Growing up, my family lived in 3 or 4 different houses. And I can say that it really wouldn't bother me to know if any of them were torn down. So, I find it kind of funny that I was so sad about the estate being demolished.

[eagle]

I didn't see any other place on the forums to put this, so I post as a comment because some readers here might find this interesting. It relates to the sad demolition of historically interesting and significant buildings ... so...

Personal travel took me to Durham, NC this weekend, and I stopped by 3030 E Cornwallis Rd, which was the location of the Elion-Hitchings Building. The building was used as one of the filming locations for the movie Brainstorm, Natalie Woods's last movie, and it was architecturally a very interesting building.

I had always wanted to go see that building, because it was so architecturally interesting, but unfortunately I wasn't able to make it there before the building's demolition last year. Too bad, but at least there are some YouTube videos about it.

The demolitions of this building and of Pahonu are terribly sad to me.

[Pahonu]

I didn't see any other place on the forums to put this, so I post as a comment because some readers here might find this interesting. It relates to the sad demolition of historically interesting and significant buildings ... so...

Personal travel took me to Durham, NC this weekend, and I stopped by 3030 E Cornwallis Rd, which was the location of the Elion-Hitchings Building. The building was used as one of the filming locations for the movie Brainstorm, Natalie Woods's last movie, and it was architecturally a very interesting building.

I had always wanted to go see that building, because it was so architecturally interesting, but unfortunately I wasn't able to make it there before the building's demolition last year. Too bad, but at least there are some YouTube videos about it.

The demolitions of this building and of Pahonu are terribly sad to me.

It was an excellent example of post-war “brutalist” architecture, sadly gone. The architect, Paul Rudolph, designed the Yale School of Architecture building as well.

[Aloha Friday]

I just saw a YouTube video by a guy that does James Bond fan stuff...he is in the Bahamas at the house that was the bad guy lair in Thunderball. The home is now owned by the grandson of the guy who owned it since right after the movie...the place is in disrepair, but says he wants to restore it and open it to the public in some fashion. The name of the place in the movie was Palmyra...or something like that. Still has the shark tank.

[Pahonu]

I just saw a YouTube video by a guy that does James Bond fan stuff...he is in the Bahamas at the house that was the bad guy lair in Thunderball. The home is now owned by the grandson of the guy who owned it since right after the movie...the place is in disrepair, but says he wants to restore it and open it to the public in some fashion. The name of the place in the movie was Palmyra...or something like that. Still has the shark tank.

Any links?

[eagle]

A few months ago, I looked on Google Maps and Apple Maps and located Palmyra and saw that pool and other things from the movie. iI'd love to visit there someday.

[Aloha Friday]

Here is the link to the video...they guy is a little fanatical with the recreations, but then aren't we all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL0wKntuoD4

[Pahonu]

Here is the link to the video...they guy is a little fanatical with the recreations, but then aren't we all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL0wKntuoD4

Thanks! That was fun.

[308GUY]

AF: That's great!

If only Pahonu had been in a similar condition and somebody with the "Magnum passion" could have bought it and done the same thing for it.....and while we're wishing on a star.....anybody want to donate a 308 to me....doesn't have to be "pristine"....I turn wrenches and do body work! LOL!

Thanks for the video...very entertaining/informative/enjoyable 17 minutes in my day.

[Pahonu]

AF: That's great!

If only Pahonu had been in a similar condition and somebody with the "Magnum passion" could have bought it and done the same thing for it.....and while we're wishing on a star.....anybody want to donate a 308 to me....doesn't have to be "pristine"....I turn wrenches and do body work! LOL!

Thanks for the video...very entertaining/informative/enjoyable 17 minutes in my day.

I was intrigued that the home was built of poured reinforced concrete, plus it has the traditional white limestone roof to collect water. Multiple hurricanes couldn’t destroy it. That type of construction for hurricanes also made it very fire resistant. The home is pretty much indestructible as the grandson described. He mentioned a fire being set purposely and it only caused some damage!

Pahonu was built using tile block walls and concrete floors, which is also fireproof construction. However, if water isn’t kept out, the mortar between blocks will be damaged over time and the steel in the concrete floors will rust and cause spalling. The original black tile roof was leaking as the various tarps over the years indicated. It was eventually replaced, but not until there was significant damage. The potential buyers were not even allowed inside the main house because the floors were unsafe to walk on in places. Pahonu also had much more exposed wood which deteriorated badly in the salt air. It was mostly redwood, which is highly durable, but it still has to be maintained. The extensive rot was evident in many photos.

The Bahamian home was still in the family, and the grandson stepped up. He described memories of living there as a child and I’m sure that plays a role in his restoration decision. Eve Anderson lived at Pahonu too, at least intermittently, but didn’t grow up there. It was inherited from her family and likely without the resources to maintain it. Sadly for all of us, she made a different decision about its fate.

It’s been discussed here on the forum before, but I think she was the only one who could have saved Pahonu, but its restoration would have needed to start much earlier. I also think she ultimately didn’t have the resources to do so and held on until it was too far gone. By time it was put up for sale, it had deteriorated to the point that no investor would have restored it versus starting over. It made no financial sense. Even a super fan would be losing a significant amount of money doing so.

[Aloha Friday]

It is a shame the house couldn't be saved, but at least it seems the "guesthouse"/boathouse is going to stay. It would be nice if they kept the exterior of that as original.

[Pahonu]

It is a shame the house couldn't be saved, but at least it seems the "guesthouse"/boathouse is going to stay. It would be nice if they kept the exterior of that as original.

The good news is that they likely will keep it pretty original. They are limited in the amount of exterior renovation because it is a non-conforming structure. That basically means they can’t remove it or significantly alter it because current zoning wouldn’t allow it to be built there at all. It’s proximity to the sand makes it quite valuable and if torn down to the foundation, for example, or too significantly otherwise modified, it can’t be rebuilt and must be entirely removed.

I have a feeling that the gatehouse’s proximity to the highway is playing a similar role in it remaining. It already has a garage stall and may have others added in an area that would otherwise be unbuildable with current codes. All these rules have to do with setbacks from the property lines and the water.