Alumni often refer to it as "the loveliest village on The Plains," but would Auburn retain its status as "lovely" if its historic landmarks disappeared?
Auburn was in danger of losing a part of its heritage until the Ogletree-Wright-Ivey House was nominated for the 2009 Alabama Historical Commission's "Places in Peril" list.
Nestled among aging trees near the heart of downtown, the Ogletree-Wright-Ivey House embodies tradition and architectural distinction.
Melanie Betz of the Alabama Historic Commission said the house is one of the few surviving Greek Revival-style structures in Auburn and the surrounding area.
"It does retain many of its original features," Betz said, "but the house needs to be renovated. It is not being maintained the way it should be."
Ralph Draughon Jr., a member of the Alabama Historical Commission, nominated the Ogletree-Wright-Ivey House for this year's "Places in Peril."
"Inclusion on the list calls attention to the house on a statewide level," Draughon said. "It doesn't guarantee preservation, but it publicizes the problem."
Betz said in addition to being nominated for the "Places of Peril" list, the Ogletree-Wright-Ivey House was one of 11 endangered properties featured in the Alabama Heritage magazine last year.
"On behalf of the Alabama Heritage Association, this program highlights significantly endangered properties throughout Alabama," Betz said. "Our hope is that it will lead to a preservation solution."
Efforts to preserve historic buildings like the Ogletree-Wright-Ivey House extend beyond Auburn residents like Draughon.
"(Places in Peril) is another tool in the tool shed to try to save some of these buildings," Betz said. "We reviewed the nomination and decided (the house) was a good candidate for the list."
Built in the late 1840s by James B. Ogletree, the house was originally one story with four bedrooms and a large hallway.
"It has been in Auburn's historic district for a while, and it has seen some changes," said Carl Morgan, Assitant Planning Director of Auburn.
Morgan said the house is included in both the local North College Street Historic District and the national Old Main and Church Street Historic District.
"It shows what kind of architecture was typical in that area," Morgan said.
The house's second inhabitant was a grist mill owner named William Wilmot Wright, who bought the house from Ogletree in 1887.
Morgan said Wright added a second story to accommodate his large family, but a tornado destroyed it in 1953.
A zoology professor named William Ivey bought and restored the house in the '50s. After remaining in a state of neglect for so long, the Auburn chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity is residing there.
"It was good to hear that someone is going to be taking care of the home and providing routine maintenance," Morgan said. "It's nice that it won't be sitting there vacant now."
The house is surrounded by student housing, the preservation commission recently revised its design review standards for all Auburn historic districts.
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