The lady we bought it from had lived here for 55 years. She was very short but had a loud, booming voice. She told me that her and her husband had been happy here for 55 years and she didn't know why some other people couldn't be happy here, too. When Leonard was getting ready to put up sheet rock he had to remove old casket boxes! which her husband had used for wallboard. I guess he had been friends with the owner of the funeral home. Down inside between the casket box walls was hundreds of liquor bottles which might have accounted for the lady's husband's "happiness" all the time.
Almost the first thing we had to do was replace the sink counter. It was so short to accommodate her that we couldn't even use it. And then there was one of the kitchen doors - the knob was about 2 1/2 feet from the floor! I loved it. But it was an unnecessary door and when Leonard built the cottage for me I used that door for the cottage door. It's so sweet there.
The chain for the backdoor was outside the door. So if someone came you would have had to open the door, pull the chain, and see who it was! Each new light fixture that he installed made me feel like the queen of a castle, just being able to turn the light on from inside seemed like a luxury. Fixing up an old lady like this has so many rewards. Diane
10 comments:
What funny, sweet stories Diane! I love the former owners "history" found in the walls! Too cute!
That door knob reminds me of our first house.We had that kind of knobs till the day we moved out.I always thought they looked great.
Blessings,Ruth
I have several of the old door knobs in my utility room just waiting for me to do something with them..... They look wonderful........
I love that door knob can you show me your mouldings and trim work!!]
I love the details!
Ha ha Diane, that is really cute....love the story...and yes maybe that accounts for their happiness!!!
The chain on the outside is so funny, wonder what they were thinking? I have a couple of doorknobs that were from the Dutchman's parents home, I turned one into a photo holder.....I think I had it one of my posts last year.
Your home has lots of charm and character!!!!
Hugs,
Mags
xx
What a cute story Diane! Love those glass doorknobs!
Sweet, funny stories of your house and its history. I love the thought of the husband of the previous owner secreting his bottles in the walls of the house.
Your pleasure in your house comes through in every line.
What great stories! I love your little house Diane and I know you have done justice to it with all the updates. Below is one of my favorite quotes:
I never had any other desire so strong, and so like covetousness, as that.... I might be master at last of a small house and a large garden, with very moderate conveniences joined to them, and there dedicate the remainder of my life to the culture of them and the study of nature. ~Abraham Cowley
One day I will have my little house too. :) Goodnite! Tammy
Hi Diane...Your stories really are funny...I cannot imagine such things as you described finding in the walls. They also remind me of my Grandma's house that had a hook lock on the outside of the porch. The only thing I can think of was perhaps it kept the children inside so they didn't wander off.
It reminds me of Daddy saying "he slid like snot on a glass door knob". Yuck.
What did that mean anyway?
xobean
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