The Tale of the Spite House: Obstruction and Tragedy

A spite house is a structure that is built by one party to irritate another, or to cause some sort of difficulty or even damage. And there have been a lot of them built over the years, though there aren’t a huge number remaining. 

Research:

• Bailey, Steve. “A Tiny, Beloved Home That Was Built for Spite.” New York Times. Feb. 29, 2008. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/travel/escapes/29away.html
• “Charles A. Froling, Local Contractor, Passes Away.” Alameda Times Star. June 2, 1924. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1097386049/?match=1&terms=%22Charles%20Froling%22
• Deschenes, Steven. “Spite House in Rockport Maine: Garden Papers and Correspondence.” Maine Historical Society. April 5, 2018. https://mainehistory.wordpress.com/2018/04/05/spite-house-in-rockport-maine-garden-papers-and-correspondence/
• “Detailed Property Description: 523 QUEEN ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA.” City of Alexandria Virginia. https://realestate.alexandriava.gov/detail.php?accountno=12113500
• “Died.” Alameda Times Star. June 2, 1924. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1097386249/?article=4c7443f8-0d33-4599-ad46-da94afa4e09b&terms=%22Froling%22&match=1
• “Famed ‘Spite House’ at Phippsburg Will be Moved Intact to Rockport, an Eighty-five Mile Journey by Water.” Portland Press Herald. June 19, 1925. https://www.newspapers.com/image/847107454/?terms=%22Donald%20Dodge%22
• “Freak House May Have Been One of the Causes of Woman Taking Her Life.” Oakland Tribune. Nov. 12, 1908. https://www.newspapers.com/image/76448900/?match=1&terms=%22Charles%20Froling%22
• “From 1774 to Today.” 1774 Inn. https://www.1774inn.com/our-history
• “Hill, Mark Langdon, 1772-1842.” Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/H000602
• Kelly, Richard D. (on behalf of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission). "NRHP nomination for Spite House." Prepared October 1974, accepted Aug. 13, 1974.  National Park Service. https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/74000175.pdf
• Kilduff, Paul. “Alameda Spite House likely built in ill will but ‘a little jewel box’ today.” East Bay Times. July 24, 2024. https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/07/23/alameda-spite-house-likely-built-in-ill-will-but-a-little-jewel-box-today/
• Leffler, Christopher T et al. “The first cataract surgeons in Anglo-America.” Survey of ophthalmology 60,1 (2015): 86-92. doi:10.1016/j.survophthal.2014.08.002
• Neal, Jill Hudson. “Narrow Thinking.” Washington Post. April 22, 2006. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2006/04/23/narrow-thinking/96441f95-b38b-412c-b6c6-a5abf0200f55/
• Nelson, George. “Two Narrow Houses Have All Comforts.” Oakland Tribune. June 30, 1957. https://www.newspapers.com/image/296868118/?match=1&terms=Gilbert%20froling
• Roth, Maggie. “Alexandria’s Spite House is Small, But It Has a Big History.” Northern Virginia Magazine. Jan. 2, 2024. https://northernvirginiamag.com/culture/culture-features/2024/01/02/alexandria-spite-house-is-small-but-it-has-a-big-history/
• Schulte, Brigid. “A Narrow-minded Pursuit.” Washington Post. Jan. 23, 2005. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2005/01/24/a-narrow-minded-pursuit/d346f89e-8e1a-4e66-8cd1-653ff05b59af/
• Senk, Julie. “James McCobb House.” Down East. https://downeast.com/home-and-garden/james-mccobb-house/
• “Spite House.” Cultural Landscape Foundation. https://www.tclf.org/landscapes/spite-house
• Williams, Lynn. “This Maryland House Was Built Just for Spite.” Los Angeles Times. April 29, 1990. https://www.newspapers.com/image/176103952/?terms=%22This%20Maryland%20House%20Was%20Built%20Just%20for%20Spite%22
• Waters, Ed Jr. “Historic Tyler Spite House on market.” The Frederick News-Post. June 20, 2006. https://www.fredericknewspost.com/archives/video-historic-tyler-spite-house-on-market/article_8c43e490-cd98-58c0-9964-554e2a67fc0e.html

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