I have been stalking this house, driving past it since I saw the article that touched on its past ownership and deterioration. I have been driving past, walking past, trying to decide just how much I liked it. Brendan filed to be my Voice Of Reason on this one, and agreed that we should go and see it. So we did. We called a realtor, and today we went inside for the first time.
Oh. My. Goodnes. I loved it. I thought it was going to be as horrible inside as outside, but we turned the key, opened the door, and walked into a sunshine-filled kitchen with cabinets upon pantries upon closets. Walk through a swinging door (think The Cosby Show) into the dining room with coffered ceilings, a beautiful hutch, and gleaming hardwood floors, or at least I trust they would gleam after a good hard scrubbing. Living room, parlor, original cherry pocket doors, a carved staircase that needs only a good dusting with Pledge. The upstairs bedrooms were big enough to seem grand, but not so big that one would feel lost. Two sets of original stained glass windows. Three fireplaces inlaid with crackle glazed tiles in subtle floral motifs. A basement so clean you could practically eat off the floor. An attic with so much potential...it was as big as a ballroom, with turret windows high above, allowing sunlight to reach into what would otherwise be creepy corners. Individual sinks in each bedroom, original. A yard that is small, but workable if we removed a HUGE bush that takes up an easy 1/3 of it. A Dutch door for the front door.
The downsides:
*The exterior is in rough shape. Needs repair and repainting at the very least, and the size of the house makes us think that project alone would cost roughly 75-100,000. Ouch.
*Bathrooms. Advertisement stated 2 full, two half. In reality there were two full, one of which was user friendly. The other would have to be gutted and redone, at a minimum cost of maybe $3,000? It should be a half bath, anyway, so maybe there is room to shave off some money there. Makes no sense to have a full bath on a floor with no bedrooms. A half bath was put in under the elegant staircase, and they removed the house's only coat closet to create it. This was clearly not done by the previous residential owners, but by Finch Pruyn (a local paper mill) who last owned the house and used it for overflow office space. I would remove that bathroom altogether and put the coat closet back in. The ok full bath is on the second floor, but at the opposite end from the master bedroom. I would turn the smallish room at the front of the house, and next to the master bedroom, into a full bath with a soaking tub under the trio of windows.
*One of the listed bedrooms is very tiny, and there is no clear place to put a bed. We think this would have been maid's quarters back in the day, but would make a very nice 2nd floor laundry.
*The second staircase, from 2nd floor to kitchen, is very steep. With kids that would worry me.
The interior could be redone very nicely for $50,000...maybe a bit more if you replace all windows, some of which would have to be special order. We would need about $150,000 over the purchase price to make it our home.
Long story short: we haven't got that much cash. This makes me sad because those rooms, as I walked through them and ran my hands over woodwork and pulled aside ugly, heavy drapery to let in the sunlight, drew me in. I would love to be a part of the undertaking it would require to bring this house back. I just wish there was a way.
Dutch front door that leads to the once-grand front sitting porch.
Carved staircase leading to second floor from the foyer. Those are purple stained glass windows at the top.
Staircase detail.
Newel Post
First living room with fireplace, looking into second living room/parlor.
First living room looking toward front of house. notice the window seat, and the fluorescent lighting that must have been from the Finch Pruyn era of ownership.
Detail of first living room fireplace.
Pocket doors from second living room/parlor to dining room.
Pocket doors from second living room into first living room.
Second living room has a set of stained glass windows that are just beautiful. Lose the heavy draperies in here and the room would be awash in sunlight.
Dining room has coffered ceilings. The doorway just visible to the right leads to the foyer.
Built in china cabinet in dining room. Your can see the foyer stairs in the background. The doorway at the far right in this picture leads to the second living room/parlor.
Kitchen. I LOVE the red sink. this room has obviously been redone in the last 120 years since the house was built. Where the flooring changes direction we think there was an add on.
From the red sink looking left. Cupboards, a desk, and a microwave shelf.
The door just visible on the right is where we came in off a side porch. The pantry cupboard is a huge draw for me. I think you could also put a small table and chairs set in this area.
The far end of the kitchen holds the cook top, a space for double wall ovens, and large refrigerator, and a breakfast bar.
The nasty full bath downstairs that would need to be gutted and reworked into a good sized powder room. I could not close the door on the left for a better picture because the linoleum floor times had buckled so badly.
While we're on bathrooms, this is the workable upstairs full bath. The tile is in great condition, and even the wallpaper is not hideous, as wallpaper goes.
Small cupboard in bathroom.
Old school tub and toilet. Not sized by today's standards but they would work until this bath could be redone.
Master bedroom with fireplace. you can see the top of the grand staircase beyond the landing out the doorway.
Master bed. closets and personal sink.
Master bed far wall and windows.
Small bedroom to the left of the master...this is the one I would turn into a master bath with soaking tub.
The other side of that same small bedroom.
Stairway to the attic.
Attic looking toward street.
Huge chimney at center of house and attic.
Attic looking toward back of house. I looks like someone built a storage closet in this part.
This would be Emma's room. Because it is pink, yes.
Personal sink.
This would be Harry's room. Because it is blue, yes.
The personal sink in this room is in the closet. Weird. Might need to change that, or where does one keep clothing?
The long, long hallway.
I didn't; get any good shots of the last tiny bedroom, or the closet in the hallway that has a built in clothes dresser, or the back staircase that leads to the kitchen. But can you see why I love this house? Just to clear things up, we're not buying it. We would love to, but short of winning the lottery there is no hope of coming into enough cash to make it happen. But man, it does tug at my heartstrings.
So that is what I have been up to: stalking houses I cannot afford to rehab.
It's a shame as the house deserves to have someone who would love it so much. Add a ghost and it's absolutely perfect.
ReplyDeleteawwww, Sara, remember,
ReplyDeleteold houses = never ending work
Enjoy your beautiful, fresh new home, you know what makes it tick and what you have done and that everything works!
That was a great tour of that house and it was interesting to see inside. You would be great owners and would make it a wonderful home. I understand how you could fall in love with it, because I, too, love the old houses with the many rooms, pantries and just so many cool features.
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