Funeral held for crumbling home in Mantua

MANTUA (WPVI) -- A funeral was held for a Mantua home. The house stood for decades but after years of decay was demolished.

3711 Melon Street got a sendoff that many humans don't expect when their time is up.

It was complete with the Mount Olive Baptist Church choir singing, their pastor Harry Moore giving a eulogy and family members sharing their memories of the home's last owner.

"I know I said, 'You're doing what?' I know I said that more than once until I could wrap my brain around the concept," said Annie Hunt.

It took Hunt a few tries to understand that her Aunt Leona Richardson's home was getting a funeral, after all her aunt died in 2002.

On Saturday, Hunt left with a keepsake of the home, a brick, after she watched to beginning of the demolition.

"I think it is more of a celebration and based on your background, funerals in a lot of places are celebrations of life," said Hunt.

As a single mom Richardson bought the home in 1946 and raised her son there.

Since her death the home deteriorated and became a symbol of urban blight.

That's exactly why organizers picked it for their project 'Funeral for a Home.' The idea is to celebrate the history of the neighborhood.

Fred Stokes lives next door and applauds the demolition.

"Everything has changed. When I was a kid, we had movie theatres in the neighborhood, we had all the stores right here and we didn't have to go out of the neighborhood for nothing. It's come full circle now," said Stokes.

As for the next chapter of 3711 Melon, affordable housing will be built here - something that could help another single mom like Richardson.

"It's good to know that more people are going to benefit from this and there will be affordable housing for people," said Hunt.