Most people don’t regret painting brick right away. That’s the problem. The damage doesn’t show up while the paint is fresh and the compliments are rolling in. It shows up years later—when paint begins to bubble, when brick faces start popping off, or when moisture appears inside a building with no obvious source. By the time it’s visible, the brick has already been compromised.

There are moments when a town loses more than a building.On the night of December 19, my hometown of Winnsboro, Texas, lost a piece of its soul. Thee Hubbell House is gone.