'Ugliest house' torn down in Camden

January 25, 2010  |  Philadelphia Inquirer  |  Link to article

A notorious Camden eyesore is gone.

Five months after a high-profile protest and promises by politicians to have it razed, the building on North 27th Street - winner of an "ugliest house" contest - was knocked down this morning.

Community members selected the house in a survey run by Camden Churches Organized for People. For many, the structure became a symbol of the difficulty of progress in the nation's poorest city.

In a statement, Rev. Heyward Wiggins pastor and CCOP clergy leader from Camden Bible Tabernacle in North Camden, said: "It is important for the city government of Camden to understand that a clean and aesthetically sound community contributes to the attractiveness of those wanting to be part of the life and breath of Camden."

The contest was conceived after St. Anthony of Padua leaders complained about an abandoned home next to the church on River Avenue.

Most residential blocks in Camden contain abandoned buildings despite a 2002 law that put the city under state control and guaranteed that all "unsafe structures" would be demolished.