When my neighbor Jenny asked if we would put our historic
1870s home, The
Gideon Palmer-Sterns House on the Cincinnati
Preservation Association’s Spring House Tour, I laughed.
“Seriously?” I asked. We have only been in the house two and
a half years and I feel like there is still so much work to do.
“Seriously,” she replied. “People will love it and it will
be great press for our community.”
I told Jenny that I only have one room that I considered
finished (the guest room), halls that need painting, front rooms with no
furniture and family style (worn out) furniture in the TV room just to name a
few challenges. “It’s not in the least ready for any home show,” I said. “People
will want their money back. Come over and see.”
My mistake.
My mistake.
Jenny popped across the street and we walked around the rooms.
I pointed out the flaws and she exclaimed how beautiful it was and how much people
would love seeing how modern families live in these historic old houses.
Well, sometimes flattery will get you where you need to go.
So, with about two weeks until the big show, here’s why we’re doing it and what I hope people will take away.
1. Showcase the Community
We live in a little hidden gem of Wyoming, Ohio with historic houses, walkable neighborhoods, super cute restaurants, great
schools, small classrooms and the friendliest people I have ever met. The tour
offers a rare chance for Wyoming to open its doors to the rest of the city to
show our stuff.
When the Gideon Palmer-Sterns House was for
sale, it was right after the recession. The house endured a family split and
sat on the market for a long time empty before going into foreclosure. We lived
a block away and passed it every day. This stunning Italianate beauty was going
into disrepair. But it had strong bones. It just needed to be loved. My husband
and I both grew up in old homes and love them. We put in a bid to make sure it
didn’t go below a certain price. Three years later, we were just about to take
our bid out when the bank called. It was ours. Did we still want it? Sure. Why
not. You only live once.
It needed a ton of work removing old
debris, putting back pipes, electricity, the works. Oh and by the way, the yard
was almost completely overgrown as well.
We think of ourselves as stewards of the house for the next generation.
Since we’re not independently wealthy, we work on projects when we can and are
big into DIY. We’ve probably gotten an estimate from every plumber in town
along the way. It’s a labor of love and this beautiful Italianate beauty would
benefit from an audience (beyond us) to admire her.
3. Grow the Old House Fan Base
There’s something about turning a corner
and seeing an historic beauty that stops your breath. Growing up, my father restored
a Victorian in Virginia and a Row House in Charleston. On Sundays, we used to
drive around neighborhoods looking at houses for entertainment. (I think it was
an inexpensive way to keep the 5 kids quiet for an hour or so.) Old homes are
the work of many hands, many builders, architects, bricklayers, masons, craftsmen
and owners poured their lives into these homes. In some small way, by sharing
our home, I hope others catch the old house bug too.
So, old homes take work. Unexpected things happen like pipes
break and paint peels. These homes are never done. Most weekends mean work on
projects or on the yard.
Which brings me to my new favorite saying, “it is what it
is.” Life is throwing some job changes at me and I’m launching a new
independent freelance business. My husband’s work is busy and the kids have 3-4
sports or so. Though I’d love to have the home in pristine condition when we
throw open the doors. It is what it is. Budgets and family
schedules mean that people will see peeling exterior trim that we will paint in
the summer, a back porch that may or may not be painted by then. You get the picture.
At a track meet recently, I was lamenting to my friend
Shauna that we are not completely prepared, people may judge me, projects are
incomplete… and we don’t even have furniture in the Music Room.
“Well,” she broke in at last. “Um, at least you have a Music
Room.”
Ah. Too true.
I am the steward of a home with a Music Room. A room with dark woodwork, a tile
fireplace, high ceilings, crown molding and carved acorns in the mantelpiece. A
room from a time when people built homes with rooms for music. And so, here we
go. We’re throwing open our doors so people can see and hopefully love a home
from another time.
It is what it is.
Margee Moore is a freelance marketing
professional, owner of MooreMKTG.biz
and author of Sleeping
with the Laundry. You can follow her
parenting humor on SleepingWiththeLaundry.
Movers and Makers: https://moversmakers.org/2017/04/18/wyomings-gems-on-display-for-cpa-home-tour/
You can get tickets here: Cincinnati Preservation Associations Spring Home Tour: http://cincinnatipreservation.org/events/2017-spring-house-tour/
Movers and Makers: https://moversmakers.org/2017/04/18/wyomings-gems-on-display-for-cpa-home-tour/
You can get tickets here: Cincinnati Preservation Associations Spring Home Tour: http://cincinnatipreservation.org/events/2017-spring-house-tour/
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