VISITORS!
Yesterday, Aaron and Breanna toured the Cross House. These crazy kids will soon be living…
…here!
In February, I wrote a post about their incredible house, and will soon be making that road trip!
Well, you can imagine how much fun we all had yesterday. Insane old house owners sharing stories and laughs and tears!
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…I can’t wait to see a some of the interior of that fine house! But, that porch…
I am curious to know if that porch is really stone or if it is the stone knock-off ‘Permastone’ or ‘Formstone’. If the new owners are really lucky they may have original materials under the faux covering, ready for removal and repair.
The porch looks original, to me, Michael. The surround looks quite low and notice how the simple plinth capping the stonework mimics the header above the windows, tying the stone to the brickwork. Also, the elegant porch drains appear to be of the same stone and of course, the masonry itself is razor straight – chink is always a tell.
😒 Ok, yes – I realize I’m ‘slightly’ obsessed with brick & stonework. I remain unashamed of this addiction. 😜
Hi, Kim!
The porch is not original.
Breanna showed me an image of the lost original porch. Oh, oh, glorious.
That’s amazing! Whoever did the stonework on this was masterful! Frankly, I’d keep it – original or not, it works.
Does Breanna know when & why the original was replaced? The rest of the house so looks pristine – hard to imagine the porch being damaged enough to be replaced.
Porches are the most fragile element of an exterior and for two reasons:
1) They are prone to rot.
2) They are prone to fashion.
It was common for Victorian-era porches to be replaced with something more fashionable beginning around 1915. So, a Queen-Anne-style house would suddenly sport a Mission-style front porch. I see this all the time.
Previously, 1850 Italianate-style houses would suddenly sport Queen-Anne-style porches!
Today, I see 1950s ranches suddenly sporting Mission-Style porches!
The Cross House is really lucky that it never lost its porches.
No doubt, Ross – probably a bit of fashion & keeping up with rot, most likely directed the replacement.
Delving more into this house (via Old House Dreams) the original porch appeared to be a wooden gingerbread confection. Those usually give a delicate, lacy look to a brick front, quite different to the heftyness of stonework. Both are equally wonderful when done well.
I also saw there is an addition at the back which matches the front porch stonework. SO glad they removed the awnings and opened the porch up – it needs to be a porch.
I’m tempted to say, hubba-hubba. That is one handsome house! 😍
I hope your roadtrip is an exciting adventure, Ross – it will be good to get away & recharge! It will also provide you with a plethora of ideas with which to gussie up the Cross house. 😉
Love these posts and I am so happy to find like-minded old house lovers and purists. I live in New Rochelle and we have a lot of house from the 1920s and 30s ala EL Doctorow’s Ragtime. We can take lovely walks and admire the houses but never get inside, so it’s so great to follow Ross and Old House Dreams. I am an art director so I am fussy too! Thanks for all this great stuff. Enjoy this beautiful house. Love that roof!
I’m glad to see that I am not the only person who keeps a chainsaw handy behind his couch. You just never know when you might need it….bwaahaaahaaa