Spite has fueled a lot of things throughout history. The creation of the Lamborghini as we know it. Saddam Hussein's floor mosaic of then-President George W. Bush. Heck, the entire rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. But it isn't just stars who have thumbed their nose at the powers that be — just ask the owner of any spite house, who refused to concede their homes to developers looking to make a buck.
From a home precariously placed in the middle of a Chinese highway to a Toronto condominium that was sliced entirely in half to make way for a new build, here are 20 people who refused to even think about selling their homes to real estate cronies.
1
Spite House in Dokkum, Netherlands
"This house in Dokkum ( Netherlands) is less than 1 meter wide."
2
“Pasadena Spite House on Maple St”
3
Montlake Spite House in Seattle, Washington
“There's a tiny house in Montlake that was built to spite a neighbor, and it sold for almost 400k last year.”
4
“This is The Thin House in Kensington, London. It’s only 6ft wide at its thinnest!”
5
“A super thin house in Vietnam, a result of road expansion.”
6
“The king of all spite houses, in the middle of a Chinese highway.”
7
Half House in Toronto, Canada
“One resident of a Toronto duplex refused to sell, so they cut it in half.”
8
“Last house standing In Zhengzhou, China.”
9
The Spite House of Mary Cook in New York, New York
“The house of Mary Cook, who refused to sell to a high-rise developer in NYC.”
10
A Spite House amid Townhouses, Unknown Location
“My elderly mother doesn't want to move, she is now surrounded by new townhouses in all directions.”
11
The Old Spite House of Marblehead, Massachusetts
"Another explanation is that the ten-foot-wide (3 m) house, just tall enough to block the view of two other houses on Orne Street, was built because its owner was upset about his tiny share of his father's estate and therefore decided to spoil his older brothers' view."
12
The Grudge in Beirut, Lebanon
"Known as The Grudge, or Al Ba'sa in Arabic, the house built in Beirut, Lebanon is just a bit over 13 feet at its widest point, and just around 2 feet at its narrowest. Allegedly, it was built by someone's brother out of spite."
13
The Thirsty Beaver Spite Saloon in Charlotte, North Carolina
There's a saloon in Charlotte NC that refused to sell. The development had to build around them.
14
Edith Macefield’s ‘Up’ house in Seattle, Washington
“Edith Macefield’s ‘Up’ house in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. 1960’s/2019. (Inspired the movie 'Up')”
15
Mary's Place in Spokane, Washington
“Mary’s Place, a house in my city the hospital had to build around.”
16
Park Plaza Victoria in Amsterdam, Netherlands
“In the centre of Amsterdam, there is a hotel built around a house dating back to the 17th century. The hotel couldn't buy the house, and the architect just planned the construction around it. Nowadays it is part of the hotel.”
17
The Skinny House in Boston, Massachusetts
"The Skinny House in Boston was supposedly built by a man who inherited less of the property than his brother, and decided to spite him by blocking his view."
18
Alexandria Spite House in Alexandria, Virginia
"This is the Hollensbury Spite House, located at 523 Queen St in Old Town, Alexandria. It’s approximately 7 feet wide and 25 feet deep, making it just 325 square feet. It is also known as the narrowest home in America. In 1830, John Hollensbury, a local brickmaker and city council member, became frustrated by the continuous loitering and carriage traffic in the alley next to his home. Most people would consider talking to the neighbors, putting up a sign, or speaking to the police, but Mr. Hollensbury was not like most people. Instead, he decided to construct a house in the alley to permanently prevent anyone else from disturbing him with their noise."
19
Spite house in Vancouver, Canada
“I found this spite house in the back alley of an industrial region in Vancouver.”
20
The Alameda Spite House in Alameda, California
"Despite being left a little plot of land, Mr. Charles Froling built his spite house anyways, blocking the view of his neighbor who had hoped to expand his property."
