Caretaking
January, 2018. after a long long long search, the west screen doors returned to the Cross House. Much joy ensured. Hi, Kenny!
The doors are in somewhat poor condition. They are missing pieces of wood, and areas need re-glueing. They also need to be refinished, and new bronze screening is required. So, this week, Dr. Doug arrived to take them away for repair.
However…I have no intention of installing the doors. Mostly because they will then cover the gorgeous solid wood doors. Oh, the horror! In an age before air-conditioning, comfort would have overruled aesthetics but, with the house now being fully air-conditioned, this is now a moot point.
So, why am I having the doors repaired?
The word caretaker nags at me.
I went to a lot of effort to find the doors and bring them back home. It doesn’t seem right to now just let them sit in the basement, abused and unloved. Also, a later owner may want to reinstall them. So, a good caretaker would get the doors repaired.
NOTE: It helps that Doug and I are bartering services. I supply his big old house with period-correct lights and he does woodworking for me. Perfect! Without this arrangement I simply couldn’t afford the expense for a wholly non-essential project at this point.
It will be a while before Doug can even get to the doors, so I don’t expect their return until 2020. I don’t plan to refinish them or re-screen. They will go back into the basement and, while not ready for installation by a later owner, they will at least be in good repair.
And that makes me happy.
I think about the stories I’ve read about people planting trees on their property knowing that the next generation will get to enjoy their beauty. Or stories of people in England who have a grand country estate in the family for many generations; it’s common to put things in good order for people not yet born. So, in my small way, getting the screen doors repaired will be my good deed for the future.
UPDATE: After writing this, I had a thought. What if I re-install the screen doors, but leave them mostly in the open position? The one on the right could rest against the adjacent wall most of the time, and the left one could rest against the round tower. While that latter would look a bit odd, I don’t think it will be too odd. Hummmm, now I am pondering…
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I honestly think you should reinstall them. The BELONG to/with the house.
My $.02 YMMV =)
Agreed! Plus, air conditioning or no, sometimes it’s wonderful to let a cool evening breeze waft through your house, without inviting pests inside too. Not to mention, when expecting company, a screen door is more inviting than a solid wood barrier. And, finally, your kitties will love being able to lie inside your threshold, seeing & smelling the world outside.
I agree with Bill, they should be reinstalled. I think they would look very welcoming standing open, like welcoming arms to the Cross House.
Hello Ross. In one of the listing photos of Bruce MacCauley’s house in Lowell, MA it shows the screen doors open with a wreath on each one facing out so it looks like they frame the doors. I think it is stunning and gives a wonderful effect. So yes, I think your idea would be fantastic!
Well they did serve a purpose to cool the house before A/C. Think of all the money you’ll save by using that cross breeze.
If it were me, I would install them. A little protection for the main doors would be good, and I think you will still be able to see and appreciate the main doors with the bronze screening. On days you don’t need the A/C, throw open those doors and let in the fresh air! Those hinges are gorgeous and i would love to see them cleaned and polished up!
Kerri, I couldn’t have said it any better………….
It might be a good idea to air out the place, a few weeks of a year. A light spring breeze after a stuffy winter and of course, some crisp autumn days – a house needs a good airing out, now & then.
Also, a good set of screen doors can add an extra bit of protection for the doors – Kansas dust has a way of working it’s way into wood. 🌻
You are an incredible caretaker of Cross House and leaving behind something very special for many generations to come. Maybe when they’re finished you could stage the there and see what you think plus I don’t think I’ve ever seen bronze screens.
I’d put back the restored doors and leave the air con off as much as possible 😉 you’re probably wiping out my recycling efforts here in the UK in one afternoon 😀
LOL
The Patch-Eeten House in Hartley, IA (an 1896 Queen Anne Style residence) still retains its original screen door. I remember when it was removed a few years back so the historical society could begin restoration on it. It has since been reinstalled and is a great piece to the house. I would personally install both of the doors to the house. Do you have the screen door from any of the other exterior entry/exit doors?
I don’t feel that I have a right to comment on what you do with the doors, but I would like to commend your attitude of caretaking of the Cross house. In our society where people move so often due to how easy and the necessity to go where one can find work in one’s area of expertise (we ended up in SoCal because of my husband’s career), it is rare for people to look beyond the end of their stay in a particular house. In my life I’ve seen four family homes/vacation homes leave our family and it was truly shocking to me. I thought someone would step up and make sure it didn’t happen, but I personally was on the west coast and couldn’t, and no one else did either. It makes me so sad. I also think this attitude of “use it up and then move on” rather than “caretaking” is a contributing factor to the current attitude to update every house with the latest trend because people don’t have a sense of being grounded in a home, of allowing the home to be itself the way it was designed to be. They look at it is a temporary nest and if the trends are outdated by the time they move, oh well. Sorry to be long-winded but I really admire what you are doing with the Cross house and I really hate trendy updates with a passion as you can tell LOL
I understand 110%, Bethany! Growing up, I was blessed to have not only my grandparents, but also most of my great-grandparents with me until I was (nearly) grown, so there were several houses that were really special to me. Over the past 4 decades, I have watched as they were sold off once the family members had passed away, and no one else in the family wanted them, or was in a position to buy them. In a way, you may be lucky that you live far away from your former family homes; it hurts to drive past Grandma’s house (once a beautiful, well-kept farmhouse), and see the used mattresses on the porch, the wrecked truck in the yard, the mildew on the siding, etc. I wanted to buy my Grandma’s house for my daughter, but my dad had a cash offer from a stranger, and would not wait a few weeks for me to arrange financing…
Have them refinished, then once they are back, set them in place and see how they look. If they do not make you smile, then put them in safe storage. If they do, then install them. All houses need to be aired out regularly, and there is just something comforting about the sound of a screen door slamming in the twilight…
Agree!!