Plumb Place: Beware of Experts
This is my seventh post on the Plumb mansion. This last week has been dizzying for many reasons but one thing struck me: how many people are “experts” in what the house needs. Here’s one comment: “The roof require[s] total replacement at a horrendous cost.” Here’s the roof:
Continue ReadingPlumb Place: STOP THE STEAL!
This is my sixth post trying to stop the historic Plumb Mansion from being stolen in plain sight. The property has no owner at the moment. It is in limbo. It does though have a receiver, who is the de facto owner. Today, he confirmed that the information being given out by the listing agent,…
Continue ReadingTorn Between Approaches. PART IV. A DECISION!
Wow. Y’all like shopping! It has been great fun looking at your pink tile discoveries! Thank you! Some of the discoveries have the right tile, but the tiles are in, say, California and the shipping would be…disturbing. Some discoveries are too pale a pink. Some discoveries do not have enough tile. Sigh. Sigh. So, at…
Continue ReadingPlumb Place: STEALING A HOUSE IN PLAIN SIGHT?
This is my fifth post on the Plumb Mansion. In a previous post, this was the headline: Plumb Place: Why Is This House Being Hidden? It now appears that the situation is much much worse than I could have imagined. For, it now seems that the Plumb mansion is being stolen in plain…
Continue ReadingTorn Between Approaches. PART III. THE BIG REVEAL
Will the stains just reappear in a few weeks or a few months? I do not know. But…the results are tantalizing. So, maybe, maybe I could restore the Mouse Palace Motel bathroom. Maybe. Another vital consideration would be buying pink 4×4 ceramic tiles. No problem, right? Wrong. Oh so very wrong. 4…
Continue ReadingTorn Between Approaches. PART II
Previously, I posted about being 50/50 whether to restore the early 1950s Mouse Palace Motel bathroom in the basement, or to tear it out and create a modern and stylish powder room. Y’all had a lot of opinions! I enjoyed reading them! A deciding factor is the tub. I poured the jelly…
Continue ReadingPlumb Place. THE BULLSHIT CONTINUES
FFS. This is my fourth post about the fabulous Plumb Place. I keep having to do posts due to the scandalous nature of how the sale of the Plumb Mansion has been handled. I detailed this previously. Last Friday, the mansion was finally listed on multiple listing service (MLS), which is the absolute standard for…
Continue ReadingPlumb Place: A Historical and Architectural Tour
The Plumb mansion sits across the street from my Cross House. That such a fine mansion was in immediate proximity to the Cross House had a lot to do with my buying the latter. Today, after surviving for about 150 years, and after after serving the public for a century, the Plumb mansion is…
Continue ReadingTorn Between Approaches
Deep in the basement of the 1894 Cross House is something remarkable: the only remaining 1950s Mouse Palace Motel bathroom in the entire universe. After the upper floors were converted to a motel in 1950s, Scott Mouse, Jr. converted the basement into six more motel rooms, each with a bathroom. Pink, of course. After Bob…
Continue ReadingPlumb Place: Why Is This House Being Hidden?
Across the street from my house is Plumb Place, one the finest houses in Emporia. It was built by Senator Preston and Carrie Plumb. After Preston died, Carrie significantly enlarged the mansion over a period of many years. In 1920, after Carrie’s death, the Plumb children donated the mansion to the YWCA to be used…
Continue ReadingA Room With A View
This worked out better than I had expected. I had planned to tile the wall above the sink and the idea of a mirror just popped into my head at the last moment. I love when pops work out.
Continue ReadingVintage Electrical Porn
The base is porcelain. The knob is wood. The switch is by Bryant. When you push/pull on the knob there is a satisfying, loud CLICK. So, in a small town in Kansas, something is better.
Continue ReadingReanimating 1894
When the Cross House was built in 1894 it was quite high-tech in having gas/electric combination lighting. Every night, to light a room, one would reach up to the turn-key switches on the overhead fixtures or sconces, and click on a bulb. Each gas jet had to be individually lighted. Today, this would seem tedious…
Continue ReadingCreating A Nice Mess
In 2014, one of the first things I did at the Cross House was to create a work room in the basement, under the dining room. Shelves were built along the west wall, a fiberglass slop sink was installed along the south wall, and a 4×16-long work table was built down the middle of the…
Continue ReadingThe New Cross House Tanning Salon UPDATE
Also now complete are four in the middle room (under the stairhall), and more in the workroom. The basement is now incredibly bright. I figure I can can get several dozens tanning beds installed and make a fortune.
Continue ReadingA Kenny Return!
Kenny did not bring his dog, Jet, with him. This quite vexed me. Kenny plans to return next month. I am crossing my fingers Jet comes to help, too.
Continue ReadingRoss Joy
I have yearned to do this work since 2014. The attic is now much more accessible. The HVAC system is now much more efficient (making it less expensive to operate), and easily serviced. And soon, soon, Ross will haul the shop vac into the attic. His pleasure will be so…
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