The before and after of one of the homes that we have renovated...this is the home that I describe in this blog as 'smiling and taking a deep breath' after we finished the exterior painting. This picture was the inside of the Open House Invitation that we had sent out to many friends and family.
I was born in the city of Chicago. Every move that I have made, has taken me further away from the city.... first to the suburbs as a child and then once married, further out into newer developments. And, for the last 25 years into the country...farming/rural areas.
My husband is a builder, and I am a generator of ideas and lover of older architecture. We buy older homes, renovate, love and save them from demolition. Sometimes we would sleep in a trailer on the grounds until we could get the home to at least a livable stage. Many times, we would live in the house, in a plastic enclosed room for sleeping, a hot plate for cooking and a bucket or two for a bathroom.
We view ALL things as living and able to retain memories. So, we are always respectful of each home and its original components. We repair, reinforce and restore as much as possible unless something structurally is found to be unsafe. Bathrooms and kitchens are almost always upgraded. Not many prospective buyers want to go out to the spring and retrieve water or use an outhouse. Many homes that we have purchased never have had indoor plumbing. When looking for an older home to purchase, we generally looked for a house with many rooms, so that we could create a first and second floor bathroom and a kitchen. We purchased a Sears farmhouse some years ago and there was a pump/tank room on the second floor where one would pump water up to the second floor. It was large enough to make into a big, beautiful bathroom with laundry (2nd floor).
We always do a lot of research into the history of the home and many times; the history would just come to us in the form of visiting neighbors. After the purchase of this Four-Square Farmhouse which was built in the early 1900's, we received a phone call from the original owners' great grandchildren (they had researched deeds at the courthouse). We frequently visit local libraries, courthouses and historic societies or organizations to gather as many pictures as possible and/or information about each new project. When we would run into neighbors at the local hardware store, or when they would stop by to see what was going on, they were usually anxious to tell us about who died there and how they died and/or any other sorted details that they either had direct knowledge of or 'had heard'. Also in our research, obituaries were always a great source of gathering information. I have always loved reading obituaries...some are so plain...lived and died...others are so colorful and full of interesting information about the person, their families and the times.
We always assume that at least one person had passed/died in each of these older homes. Families lived in the same home, generation after generation. They lived in the same home as their parents and grandparents and farmed the very same soil.
Many wakes and viewings were held in these homes, usually in the parlor. After family and friends met and discussed the good and bad times, crops and the weather, shared a meal, they carried the dearly departed to the family cemetery. Many times, physically carrying them (a child) and other times in a wagon. After lowering the loved one into the ground and saying their goodbyes, they would mark the spot in several different ways.... a small fence around the site, a cross, a pile of rocks, something that they had made or a special possession of their loved one. We have purchased homes with grave sites on them...children and adults alike.
We take our time to get the feel of the home before we begin and come up with as many ideas as possible to restore.... not destroy. Developing a relationship with the home and all of the memories that are held within the structure becomes our priority. While coming up with a plan (that changes very often) we have many daily discussions, sometimes we have to go for walks to rest and refresh our busy heads. Intertwined in our construction/renovation discussion, are thoughts about the families that lived, love and called this their home. Where love was shown, arguments were had, and families felt grateful and safe. Babies were born, people died either suddenly (fires/farm accidents) or slowly from illnesses.
One evening upon turning on the tv, there was a show about paranormal activity. At first, I thought it was like the other ones that I had spent a few minutes watching when there was nothing else on tv. You know the ones, creepy noises, orbs, etc. but nothing that you would really think was actually there haunting the building or its residents. But this show in particular was about a home where several paranormal experts performed all of the tests that they generally conduct and decided that there really weren't any dangerous hauntings but, that there was what was called residual activity/hauntings. Meaning that the memories of the activities of the home had been and always would still be present.... kind of like a movie that plays over and over through the years. And, that you might just be lucky enough (depending upon how you feel about this type of thing) to be in attendance when a memory presents itself. Stairs that had been walked up and down for years, doors that have been opened and closed hundreds of times, floors that have been walked upon by so many people.... have memories. Old floors and stairs have structural reasons why they creak and move, but not always. Doors open and close due to air flow and house settling, but not always. There are hot and cold areas in houses due to old ventilation systems and drafts, but again, not always. There are many different sensations that one might feel...for no real apparent reason. Maybe they are just the thoughts that you yourself have created or, maybe they have been created for you...through events that have happened in that place and are still present in some form.
I guess I would like to say that I have seen shadows, items flying across the room, etc., but neither my husband nor I have experienced any of that in the many homes and buildings we have renovated. But we have always felt an awakening and a feeling of comfort and care. We have also felt redirected occasionally in our renovation choices. We have never felt afraid only that we were just the next people to care for this home and bring it back, for which we felt grateful.
One home that we renovated had a history of two suicides (in the spring house...arsenic) with a lot of alcoholism and depression. My husband (before we knew this information) stood back and was admiring the new paint job we had given the exterior and said, "I just saw the house smile and take a deep breath". The children that had lived in this home somehow had heard of our Open House and decided to come. One of the wives indicated to us that her husband had been suffering from nightmares and night sweats for years after his life in this home. We walked him through the house, and he said that it felt much different, he felt peaceful and would be creating better memories.
Maybe the house had survived all of the sadness and hard times that people and families brought into it. The house had been unoccupied for years and was in great disrepair, but still "had really good bones" as my hubby would say. Possibly this home was at first disturbed when we first arrived, but learned from our daily presence and hard work that there would be many more pleasant times and happiness going forward...... and that was good.
We lived in this home for a few years and sold it to a family that described it as their 'dream home'...they still live there and still love it....so, all is well...and good.
Possibly my husband really did see the house smile and take a deep breath...
