The Cross House

  1: Cross House. Note garage behind, now gone. 2: Fabulous 1880s house, comparable to Cross House, demolished by city about 15 years ago for a parking lot even though it was in good shape. Sigh. 3: Gone. 4: Gone. Replaced with a 1980s banal building. 5: Gone. 6: A&W drive-in restaurant. Cool. Gone though….

The Cross House was altered in 1929 when the second floor was converted into apartments. In 1950, it was further altered when it was converted into a hotel. There have been dozens and dozens of small alterations in the ensuing decades. Yet, all this notwithstanding, the house is remarkably as it was when first built….

I have called in Scotland Yard. For, something is amiss at the Cross House. Today, I realized that the single library door leading to the south hall did not have the proper doorknob. This, after I just posted that I no longer needed any more door hardware!                …

        I continue to be amazed that owners of the house, over the decades, maintained a pattern of squirreling away fallen bits/removed bits of the house. As I reinstate a bit I think: When did somebody store this? 1940s? 1950s? 1990s? And who stored it away? Scout Mouse, Jr? Frank Toms? Harry…

    Today was almost 60-degrees. In January. While seemingly ideal, it was also terrifyingly windy. The plan for today was to paint and shingle the part above the one window. But wood shingles and wind do not mix. No matter how careful one is being, the wind will win and many shingles will fly…

2019 is my sixth year of owning the Cross House. In August of this year I did a post detailing much of the work completed during these years. While, golly, a lot has been done there is a vast amount still to do. I do not even have a shower in the house yet! The…

  UNEXPECTED #1         UNEXPECTED #2 I noticed a small box sitting on the porch of the Cross House. As I don’t have my mail delivered to the house I was curious about the box. From Jackie! From Canada! Going inside, I opened the box…and was quite surprised!        …

          To my astonishment and great pleasure, this means I can announce to all that the Cross House no longer lacks doors, and nor door hardware! My excitement is considerable. This wonderful news though is mitigated by many many lost window pulls, like two dozen. Drat! I suspect the previous owner,…

          Dr. Doug came by yesterday and I showed off the frames. As I pointed out their virtues he just kept looking at me oddly. “What?” I asked. “Ross, frames are suppose to, you know, frame something. Nobody hangs empty frames up!” “Pish posh! They’re beautiful even empty!” Doug just shook…

  Walking into the Cross House today it was 27-degrees outside yet clearly warmer IN the house. This is good! Because I recall all too well, and not with fondness, the several years when the house was colder inside than out during the winters. Brrrrrrr. Today, the thermostat was set at 45 and the inside…

    Today was 37-degrees. I thought: Is it possible to work in such weather? Or will fingers freeze? The answer proved Yes, and No. While dressed warmly and with a scarf, no fingers were uncomfortable. The outlook for at least the next two days though is grim. I am certain that 30-degrees WILL result…