Oh! I Do Have Some More Good News!
So, yea, Ross had a really crappy week. It was so crappy that I totally forgot about the early part of the week when a milestone occurred!
Something amazing and thrilling!
Scroll down…
I FILED THE COMPLETION REPORT FOR THE 2017 HERITAGE TRUST GRANT!
Yes! I did! This happened!
And then I forgot all about this miraculous event as the latter part of the week proved overwhelming.
The grant was TWO YEARS past its original deadline and the people at the Kansas State Historical Society graciously continued to extend the deadline due to a minor line item (replacing small areas of missing shingles on the south facade) erupting, like Mount St. Helens, into a titanic-sized explosion wholly obliterating the cute idea of estimated timelines.
Before receiving each extension though, Ross about gave himself an ulcer with worry. Every time.
The Heritage Trust Fund appears unique to Kansas. I am not aware of any other state providing funds to historic properties. How is this not a national program?
The trust is funded by a small tax on every new mortgage in the state. These monies are collected, and then annually distributed. Not only do a LOT of people thus find work, but a LOT of historical properties are restored. And wood glass stone concrete metal paint, etc., is purchased. This is all great for the economy.
Again, how is this not a national program?
Now, y’all remember Dr. Doug? In 1992, Doug was a Kansas State Senator. He voted for the bill. Then, decades later, I asked him why he had never requested funding for his fabulous old house. “I thought it would seem self-serving.”
“Doug! That was decades ago! FILE A DAMN APPLICATION!”
I also wrote a letter of support, in which I explained how Doug had been instrumental in the creation of the trust. Then, although worded very graciously, I also basically stated: Hey! You owe this hero!
I am certain my letter did the trick. Doug received a full $90K grant.
Before buying the Cross House, Casey Woods, of Emporia Main Street, told me with great intensity: “If you buy the house, you MUST apply for this funding. Do you understand? DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”
He scared me. But I did listen, entirely due to his intensity. Then, once I learned about the trust, it shifted my idea of buying a vastly terrifying decaying house from maybe to YES! Really, I doubt I would have purchased the house without the possibility of getting some support for something I could not possibly afford to do on my own.
Then, when I received a full $90K grant in 2015, I was dumbstruck. Thanks, Casey!
So, to receive another $90K in 2017? I was even more dumbstruck. Gobsmacked, really. And kinda dazed for months. Thanks, Casey!
This $180K transformed a house in a highly dangerous condition, with water and wind freely entering the interior, with built-in gutters driving water into the house rather than away, with stained-glass windows literally falling to the ground, with wood shingles flying off in strong winds, and with critical rotted sills and framing, decaying, unseen.
And today? All these issues have been repaired. And at no cost to me.
I shake my bald head in wonder. Still.
On Old House Dreams, created by the incomparable Kelly, a house in Kansas is often posted. Sometimes in desperate condition. I, of course, leap to the defense of the house, also pointing out that significant funds might be available to help, something unique to the state. Has this motivated anybody to Buy In Kansas? I hope so.
While I am profoundly grateful, all this was not easy. One has to do the work first, and then get reimbursed. Luckily, all this can be broken down to individual line items.
There is also the pressure (this work has to be done!), and ticking time-bomb deadlines. Oh, and paperwork. I loathe paperwork.
But the really hard part? There is a lack of freedom. Rather than do what I want since 2014, I have largely done what Heritage line items dictated. And, well, I am an Aquarian. Aquarian’s love freedom more than anything (this is why I have been self-employed since I was 28-years-old). So, I hope y’all appreciate my great sacrifice for the good cause!
As part of the Completion Report, I had to send images showing the work, as well as any images which might document changes to the property over time.
I thought that y’all might enjoy seeing what I sent. I get all teary-eyed looking at the images. It is like reviewing a miracle.
The captions are as sent. All the images enlarge if clicked.
The Cross House, brand new, 1894. Courtesy Walter Anderson Collection, ESU Archives
Circa-1932. The original wood shingle roof has been replaced. The carriage house is to the right. Courtesy Mouse family archives.
Circa-1950. Victorian-era colors replaced by white paint. Courtesy Mouse family archives.
1999. The house at its low point, boarded up. Courtesy Bob Rodak.
2014. The house when I purchased the property. Courtesy Google streetview.
Today. The exterior color scheme replicates the original 1890s colors. The two Heritage Trust grants restored all 43 stained-glass windows, and many clear-glass windows. Re-lined the built-in gutters. Replaced all secondary roofing. Restored finial on round tower; recreated lost
octagon tower finial. Restored or recreated eight porch columns. Partially repointed north chimney. Replaced all shingles on south second-floor, and attendant rotted sheathing and framing. Recreated lost curved window to tower.
2021, January 20th.
1999. The north facade, which faces Highway 50. Courtesy Bob Rodak.
The restored north facade. Thousands of people see this every day.
2014. South facade. Almost all the second-floor shingles, which looked essentially OK (albeit unpainted) proved to be rotted, and also hid severe damage to the sheathing and framing. None of the windows are restored. Two porch columns (far left) are missing, and the four porte-cochère columns are either missing or in very poor condition.
Work commences in the SE corner. There is new sheathing over new framing. The adjacent window frames (right and left) had to be removed and rebuilt. The metal tin cornice above the new sheathing had to be carefully pried away from the house and its wood framing rebuilt.
The work in the SE is complete. All the shingles have been replaced. Each one had to be cut to the historic width, and 50% had to have a half-round bottom. All done by hand, on site. The two rebuilt window frames can be seen, as well as their restored 1894 sashes. The four porte-cochère columns are either new, or restored.
Most of the wood frame to the servant’s room window, second-floor, was restored. Rotted trim was replaced with PVC. A marriage of old and new.
South second-floor Sewing Room windows. Work continues. The stained-glass windows have been restored. Note the new computer-crimped drip caps atop the windows. A small detail helping to protect the house.
Center south completed. The clear-glass windows have been restored.
SW corner. Again, shingles which looked to only require fresh paint proved to be rotted, hiding rotted sheathing and framing.
Almost completed. The downspout, which proved not to be original and also poorly located, was
removed.
SW corner, completed. Stained-glass and clear-glass windows restored.
Second-floor south fully restored. Porch columns are either new or restored. All twenty-one columns have now been recreated or restored.
The column capitals are unique to the Cross House, and delightfully eccentric. They were designed by the architect Charles Squires, and hand-carved. Many of the capitals were missing in 2014 and these were recreated in resin via a mold from an original capital.
The large curved-glass window of the tower was cracked for many decades, further damaged in 2014, and replaced by Plexiglass. It is now reborn.
The Cross House has an extraordinary 43 stained-glass windows. They are the glory of the house. Only one went missing during the last 127-years: east Sewing Room. As the architect of the house, Charles Squires, often did things in pairs, the west stained-glass window from the
room was copied. Squires liked this design enough to have a pair in his own bedroom, a block away.
2014. The triple stained-glass on the north facade.
Restored. Note also the five medallions along the bottom edge. These were long missing. No longer.
In 2014, the stained-glass windows were in a perilous condition. One fell to the ground.
It was reborn.
The triple-stained glass in the stairhall niche.
One of the triple windows from the Long Bedroom.
Reborn.
And glorious.
The newly restored Dining Room window.
Glorious.
2014. All the clear-glass windows in the house looked, essentially, like this.
The same window, restored. As now are all the windows.
A basement window had been turned into an electrical panel for the AC system.
Reborn. The original sash (minus glass) was hidden behind the plywood. The AC lines were, at significant expense, buried in the ground.
2014. The NE corner.
Reborn.
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The work you have done is astounding. Thank you!!
Thank you, Dan!
What a spectacular and lasting legacy for humanity Ross. I hold great admiration for your stewardship. Congratulations!! Take good care of yourself please.
Thank you, Nora!
Always in the back of my mind is this: Assure another century.
There are no adequate words. Simply marvelous. Well done, Ross. Well done!
Thanks you, Liz!
Outstanding! Thank you!
I’m glad to hear you are on the mend!
Stay awesome!
Thank you, Karen!
I’m not out of danger yet, but am now medicated and doing what I can to get well.
OMG! The work you’ve done is daunting. Bless you and the State of Kansas. I wish NJ had such a program. I’Ve seen too many historical homes fall to ruin for lack of funding
Thank you, Bonnie.
When I look through the images I am, yes, gobsmacked. But, I’m also stunned: I did what?
That is a tremendous amount of work! Wonderful. What a great recap!
Thank you, Derek!
Recaps are good. They give me hope.
Beautiful work, Ross! And thank you for sharing your home adventures.
Please take the time to take care of yourself and heal!
Thank you, Will!
Wow! So much manual labor plus ALL the paper work and photo documentation of the before and after!!
It makes me pooped just thinking about it….,but YOU DID it!!!!
WOW! Amazing. You should be SO proud of yourself. We all are just….amazed!
I’m often pooped, too, Linda!
And proud!
BIG hug!
In addition, you have generously shared this journey with all of your readers and we are ALL the better for it!! Blessings, Ross!
Thank you, Rhonda!
Oh Ross,
Astounding, truly.
Whenever I talk about you and your house, I will suggest new readers start with this post. It’s miraculous what you have accomplished by being consistent and motivated (although you probably felt coerced at times).
Everything that was needed to make it possible for the house to last another hundred years is now done.
Being an Aquarian myself, I can understand how arduous it must have been for you to “have to” do something. Yet, the “baby steps” results are obvious now.
God bless the Kansas Heritage Grant. And God bless you, Ross. You have created a lasting legacy. Emporia and all of us regular readers benefit greatly because you didn’t turn away from this gracious lady in need. Thank you.
Thank you, Christine. A fellow Aquarian! You know my sacrifice!
I have followed this journey from the beginning but I am still moved to tears by the beautiful restoration of this house. Well done!
Thank you, Bethany! I’m sorry to make you cry!
BIG hug!
Those pictures… I can only utter the words “Thank you!!” over and over. You have saved something so precious. And those close-ups of the gorgeous stained glass – man, I want a house like this SO bad, but doubt it’s in our future at this point, from a lack of both finances and physical strength!
And you’ve given me an idea – I’m going to write to my state’s legislature and beg them to consider a program like this. We have a wealth of beautiful old houses here that are being allowed to decay into oblivion. You are so right that this should be a national program! And to think that it was passed in a red state all those years ago.. I have a feeling it would probably get a lot of push-back right now, as that “small tax” on mortgages will make people scream about Democrats and entitlements and all sorts of political BS.
“Assure another century” That really encompasses the hard work, worries, anger, joys. and love that you’ve given this beautiful lady. It’s overwhelming seeing all these pictures in a row. I am so proud of you. Take care of yourself so you can continue to the finish line. (I agree – every state should have a program; Ameri demolishes too many beautiful houses and buildings, building sleek and ugly replacements that don’t last. Shame on us.) 🙂
Amazing!
As I’ve followed along for years, it is easy to forget all the progress you’ve made. Amazing work! I am also amazed that only one stained glass window was removed from the house during all those years. Truly unbelievable.
Agreed, Kristal. Unbelievable!
Wow! I get choked up looking at this! What an amazing transformation! I live in Syracuse now and the number of grand old homes falling apart in disrepair are too numerous to count. It breaks my heart to think of the craftsmanship being lost and the beauty left to turn to dust. Thanks for rescuing this beauty and take care of yourself!!!
Thank you, Nancy!
I love these recaps, because it’s wonderful to see how the looked over the years — and especially at it’s low point, when it would have fallen to bits if Bob Rodak hadn’t purchased it. I’m very grateful to Bob for rescuing the house, and for you taking on this massive restoration. You’ve saved one of Emporia’s treasures.
Barb! Thank you!
I have been following along for so long, seeing the little bits and pieces, that sometimes I forget how astounding the changes are! You have made the most amazing difference not only in the Cross house, but many others throughout the country through this blog. Your enthusiasm and willingness to educate and share the good, the bad and the ugly is an inspiration to so many of us plugging away at our own old houses. Thank you! Take good care of yourself and I hope you feel better soon.
Thank you so much, Laura!
I have been cheering you on since near to the very beginning of your blog, dear Ross, and I read every single one of your posts although I seldom comment. Today I just had to let you know what an incredibly wonderful human being I believe you to be, and also that I am SO moved by, and proud of, your commitment to & execution of quality work, combined with your incredible tenacity in saving & restoring Cross House! I honestly wept looking at all the pics in this post of yours…..what an astounding and wonderful accomplishment you have achieved – one that will live on for far longer than any of us will. I salute you! I triple salute you!
And I also hope that you are feeling better soon – this world needs you, Ross.
Much Love & Best Wishes Always.
Sandra! Welcome back! BIG BIG BIG hug!!!!!!!!!!
And thank you for your kind words!
Bravo! Bravissimo! Thank you on so many levels!
And that does not even begun to cover what greatness you have accomplished.
Thank you for this wonderful adventure. I truly loved the pictures.
Extraordinary!
With gratitude and hugs….
The After photographs erased the damages. Without the Before photographs, it is as if the Cross House is always well-looked after. The Kansas Historical Society chose well then they granted you the Heritage Trust Fund twice. You have completed all the items on your lists with superb attention to detail! Hooray! Bravo Ross! You and the Cross House are among Kansas Historical Society’s success stories.
As for Dr. Doug, it is pretty safe to say that the grant bestowed to him was helpful, as well. Three cheers for Dr. Doug, Kansas Historical Society and Ross!
Thank you, Leigh!
And, I agree, the Kansas Historical Society did choose well!
What an inspiration…both you and your house.
Thanks, Mike!
Oh my gosh Ross, You deserve a huge metal for all you have done!!! I know you are very proud. My grandson and I drove by the other day and he wants to come see the house again. Is that possible?
Sorry, medal!!!
Thank you Ross for all the awesome pictures!! So happy for you
Amazing!!! She’s beautiful again thanks to your dedication.
You wrote, “All these issues have been repaired. And at no cost to me.” Ultimately not financial cost, but at GREAT emotional and physical cost. You have done such a wonderful job of saving and restoring the Cross House. I did burst into tears when I visited nearly two years ago at the vast beauty of her. I cannot wait to come again and perhaps stay overnight in the B&B. Please take care of your health so you can finish the vision you have for the interior. Thank you for sharing the journey in this amazing blog. It has restored hope for me many times during some dark days. God bless you, sweet friend.
This post from 2021 is just glorious! I just love the before and after photos!
Ross you are absolutely amazing!
My favorite things are the restored stained glass and the porch posts!
I was watching a documentary released in 1991 that included a footage of an “Interior Designer” named Ross McTaggart (not MacTaggart). I liked him, and wanted to see if I could find what became of his life, after the documentary. Well, I’ve landed here. Even if you’re not the Ross in the doc, I’m lucky to discover your work. All my life, I’ve felt emotionally attached to old buildings. When I was a kid I would knock on the doors of old, beautiful houses and ask if I could see the inside. I have lived in spectacular, gigantic (built 1905 – 1910) apartments, for close to nothing) in downtown Spokane and Seattle. Before they were gentrified. I love looking at your work. Makes me happy to find people that live out their dreams/vision. It is never easy.