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Lee Harvey Oswald Apartment In Dallas Being Torn Down


A piece of Dallas history is being torn down brick by brick, by court order.

An apartment building in the Oak Cliff section of the city was once the home of alleged presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

When Jane Bryant learned that President Kennedy's assassin had lived in apartment number 2 here until early 1963, she was instantly taken with the place.

"Once I found out the historical value, I wanted to preserve it," she said.

But after buying the building in 2007, Bryant was ordered to bring it up to code. She says one zoning obstacle after another prevented her from doing the necessary work. Last year, the city condemned the property, with a demolition deadline set for this Friday.

Even though she has been ordered to tear down this building by this weekend, she says she has been repeatedly denied a permit to do it. So WFAA-TV in Dallas contacted the city of Dallas to find out what the problem is. And not long after that, a building inspector showed up at the property with some answers.

The inspector told Bryant she can get a permit to do the demolition job on her own instead of having to go to the expense of having to hire a contractor. That's a big breakthrough she says that hasn't been possible until now. But it is bittersweet.

"I am very sad to see it like this," Bryant said.

She will be able to save a lot of money, but she won't be able to save a piece of Dallas history.   Bryant says she plans to sell the bathtub and hundreds of bricks from the building on eBay.