A Most Extraordinary Restoration
Wow. In Brooklyn, New York, is the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank, built in 1875. For decades this majestic pile was grimy and overlooked. In 2014 it reopened, as an events space, after a extraordinary restoration. The building now sparkles inside and out and it has been burnished to perfection. There is a gallery of…
Continue ReadingBEFORE and AFTER
Most of the west facade has now been repainted in the original colors. An 1895 image guided me as to WHAT colors went WHERE (along with paint scrapes), and also confirmed that the distinctive huge curved cornices were originally painted all one color, including the dramatic stamped tin swirls. The…
Continue ReadingWanna See My 1894 Ice Chest?
When the Cross House was built in 1894 it was state of the art. Today, it would be like having a home built wholly wireless and with LEED green certification. In 1894 this meant: 1) Both gas and electric lighting. The former was a proven technology; the latter was new and unproven. Hence, being modern…
Continue ReadingThis makes me SO happy!
For many years I lived in New York City and, as a lover of architecture, walking around the city was a constant thrill. So much to see and admire! I moved to New York in the fall of 1978, when I was just a twenty-one-year-old pup. The city was a wreck, a dump, and looked…
Continue Reading1894 High Tech: Speaking Tubes
THE PAST When I was a wee one in the 1960s, my parents would take us kids (there were four) to visit Aunt Mabel, who was sweet, generous with a kind word, never lectured, and always gave each of us kids a whole dollar (back when a dollar could actually buy something). Aunt Mabel was also…
Continue ReadingA Love Affair With…Scaffolding.
I love scaffolding. I admit it. Some people love ladders. Some people love boom lifts. I love scaffolding. You see, ladders are all about up/down and up/down and up/down. A day of this at my age is tough. You can also only work a small area at a time before having to move the ladder….
Continue ReadingCan Santa see the Cross House from the North Pole?
For the holiday season I created a three-story Christmas “tree” at the Cross House. To repeat: three-stories high. It is BIG. And it makes me smile. I wanted to do something for my first holiday season in the Cross House. But what? The house is so huge and the possibilities are endless. Obviously,…
Continue ReadingCan I Paint Today? Can I? Can I, Please?
Here in Kansas it is possible to paint the exterior of your house all through to the end of December. CAVEAT: just not every day. It becomes kinda hit or miss these two months. Once I had 70 degree weather between Christmas and New Years. So, I removed the exterior wall in my kitchen — sure,…
Continue ReadingFavorite Houses: 702 West Street
I see dead people. This is, of course, the memorable line from the hit move The Sixth Sense. Well, I do not see dead people. But, like the boy in Sixth Sense, it seems that I see quite differently than most people when it comes to, not dead people, but old houses. Houses which I…
Continue ReadingHow To Heat A Big Old House. A Theory.
One of the single biggest impediments to owning a big old house — perhaps THE biggest — is heating and cooling. Basically, in a big old house you will never be warm in the winter or cool in the summer. And even trying will cost a terrifying amount. Geez. Because I am quite fond of…
Continue ReadingA Lustron In Emporia!
What, you might ask, is a Lustron? After WWII, factories across America were suddenly idle. As were many millions of workers. One man had an idea: why not transform the steel factories which had created tanks and battleships into factories creating housing? Thus, the dream of Carl Strandlund became reality, and Luston built around 3,000…
Continue ReadingUrban Planning 101
Really, urban planning is not hard. However, based on the countless urban planning disasters since WWII, one would think urban planning is some incredibly complicated and obtuse thing to understand. It ain’t. For example, in designing a building for an urban location, like a Main Street, there are just three rules: 1) Make sure the…
Continue ReadingMore Scaffolding!
Recently, we took down the forest of scaffolding surrounding the round tower. Whoee! This week we put up scaffolding so I could paint the dormer window, and one side of the octagon tower. Whoee! So, bit by bit, the original colors are returning to the Cross House. NOTE: I am much happier standing on a…
Continue ReadingMore Windows!
In order to restore the windows at the Cross House it is necessary to remove them for long-ish periods. A good chunk of this time is waiting for the glazing to dry enough to paint. So, the house ends up with plexiglass covering the openings, which rather kills the beauty of the house. So, behold,…
Continue ReadingHave You Ever Jacked Up A House? SCARY!
I have an deeply-held belief system with regards to old houses: 1) One needs to expect structural issues. 2) As long as you discover SIX or less structural issues, you are lucky. All is well. The Gods have blessed you. 3) If however you find SEVEN, give the house back to the previous owner. And RUN…
Continue ReadingA Scarily Long Post About Road Trips, Cloud Gates, & Other Adventures
Waaaaaaay back in the 1980s (it is really scary that the 1980s now seem like a historical time period. Sigh) I used to travel a lot. I thought nothing about leaving New York City (where I lived at the time) and jumping on a plane to…somewhere. Vienna? Check! Paris? Check! San Francisco? Check! London? Check!…
Continue ReadingThe Thrill Of A Great National Debate
I was not around during the tumultuous national debate about ending slavery. I was not around during the tumultuous national debate about giving women the right to vote. I was not around during the tumultuous national debate when Harry Truman (give ’em hell, Harry!) ended segregation in the military. I was around during the tumultuous national…
Continue ReadingThe Cheeriest Laundry Room That Ever Was
For most of us, having a room JUST for laundry would be a luxury. And, if we had such a room, it would be efficient, simple, and utilitarian. Right? I mean, isn’t this what laundry rooms are supposed to look like? But some people think outside the box. Gotta love such people.
Continue ReadingCan A Wreck Of An Old House Actually IMPROVE Your Health?
While I have zero statistical data to back up the following, I am pretty sure it is a known truth: Old houses can kill. There have been countless couples and singles who have enthusiastically purchased a wreck of an old home, started with gusto…and then…lost their minds. Marriages are destroyed by old houses. People are…
Continue ReadingMy Doors Are Back From The Hospital!!!!!
This image thrills me. You see, the doors just came back from the Door Hospital. They underwent a veneer repair, sanding, staining, and refinishing. I was terrified that they would not survive the anesthetic. But they are back! And GORGEOUS! Thank you, Dr. Doug!!!!! The Cross House has two sets of entry doors. This…
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