Critics say the city needs to find more productive ways to intervene when historic structures fall into disrepair.

These huge, abandoned historic homes date back to at least 1850 and are priced as low as $1,000. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Fixer-uppers are all the rage right now.

The first-ever Independence Day took place in 1776—yet there are several homes across the U.S. that pre-date that historic time.

Mark Hood of Bowling Green, Ky., has been restoring old homes since he was 19. For him, there is nothing more rewarding than doing the work with his own hands then seeing the fruits of his labors.