Reader Averyl is a new owner of a mid-century home. She recently wrote to share how she had researched — then met – the home’s original owners. I asked her to tell us more… Read on for Averyl’s wonderful story.
She writes:
I’ve always dreamed of living in a mid-century ranch house like my grandmother’s where I spent many happy days as a young child, eating lunch at her chrome dinette set, admiring her figurines in her curio cabinet, watching “I Love Lucy” on her large TV with rabbit ears or looking out of her large multi-pane window onto the tree lined suburban street of Fort Lee, New Jersey in the late 1960’s.
Two months ago I bought my dream ranch house in Maine after years of looking. As soon as I walked inside the house I knew right away it would be my home. There had only been a few cosmetic updates and they were compatible with mid-century décor; no one tried to make the house look 2009. I looked outside the large multi-pane living room window and wondered about who had lived there before the seller from whom I would purchase the house. I knew she had been there fifteen years, but what about the original owners? There was an indescribably good energy to whole house. Almost like an episode of “The Twilight Zone” I felt transported back in time and I could almost see and hear “Leave it to Beaver” showing on a black and white television set as a mother cooked in the kitchen wearing an apron and her kids played in the front yard. I decided I wanted to look up the people who had lived there to see if I could tap into some of the history of the house and thank them for taking such good care of it.
After we moved in I called the town office where public records of ownership are maintained, and it turned out that the original owners lived in the house for over forty years! I really wanted to meet them, but I hesitated; what would they think? Would I sound like a nut? To some people a house is just that but to me it’s a home filled with history and stories. I figured, what did I have to lose other than a pretty daydream?
I looked them up and saw they were still living in my town. I introduced myself via email and invited them over to see their house (I didn’t call it “my” house). They were very receptive and offered to bring old photos- bonus!
When they arrived the following Saturday morning we walked around the grounds and they told us about the old neighborhood and people in it. Inside we walked from room to room, and I asked them what was original and what had been replaced. I heard many stories and they said my television is in the same spot where they had theirs and that they indeed watched the first runs of “Leave it to Beaver” and “I Love Lucy.”
The best part of the visit was when we all sat down at my chrome dinette set in the kitchen with the large stack of photo albums they had brought over. I saw pictures of my house being built, family pictures taken inside the house throughout the years, bridge games played in my living room and my favorite, Christmastime.
Although only 1,200 square feet they raised two children in the house, and judging from the excellent condition inside, they were very well behaved. We talked about the changes in ways people are able to finance homes now as compared to then and how a bigger house has somehow come to equate “better.” A smaller house is now usually perceived only as a starting point.
I explained: “I plan to live in this house a very long time, yet people often refer to it as a ‘starter home.’”
“This was our starter home for forty-two years,” the former Lady of the House replied.
I learned about some of the local business history and even saw a picture of the businessman whose name is on the thermometer outside my door. It seemed that back then everything was locally owned and you could shake hands (or even go bowling) with the person whose name was on the shop.
After a lovely two hour visit they needed to get going and they were kind enough to let me scan some of the photos. I plan to have them over for my Christmas party so they can see the house with my 1950’s Christmas decorations.
“We approve,” they said as they left. I do, too.
Copyright Averyl Hill, All Rights Reserved. www.averyl.com
Thank you, Averyl!
YarmouthCindy says
How neat to be able to meet the original owners of your house. Our neighbor across the street has been a wealth of information and funny stories about our ’52 ranch. The neighborhood ranges in age from 100+ year old houses at the top of the street to probably 30 year old raised ranches on the other end. Enjoy living in a small town in Maine—it really is the way life should be!
Eartha says
Congrats again, Averyl! I can’t think of better people to keep the home alive and well. I’m sure the old owners could sense that and left very, very happy.
jen says
What a great story! It would be so nice to be able to meet a home’s original owners and ask them questions about the house. I have always wondered about what some of the original fixtures and decor looked like when our house was built in ’53. Renovating revealed some of it, but other things will probably always be a mystery.
Justin says
We just recently purchased a brick house that was built in 49. While we were remodeling it(bringing it back to original after the previous owners tried to upgrade it but did a lousy job) an older gentleman from across the street introduced himself. He had lived at the house across the street since 59, and that his parents were the original owners of the house we just bought. They lived there until about 2001 and sold it to a young family that did a lot of the work that wasn’t that good. He has been over a couple of times to our house and really likes what we have done with the place. As of yet he has not been able to locate any pictures of the house but we are hoping he eventually will.
Sara in WA says
Michael I think the reason for the two different years of when your house was built is because the court records would show the year the building permit was taken out so that could’ve been in the late part of the year and the bathroom fixtures would’ve been done in the final part of the building process so would be of the following year. Just thought you’d want to know. And how weird that I drove by my grandparent’s mid-century yesterday but have never had the guts to actually knock on the door. My grandpa had built a dumbwaiter from the garage up to a cabinet in the kitchen for easy unloading of groceries. Pretty cool feature for a kid!
Penny in CA says
This house is remarkably similiar to Memphis Kristin’s house, as it appeared in Averyl’s original owner’s picture! just opposite…
I LOVE IT!
Averyl says
Pam- thank you for inviting me to tell my story and posting it! Thank you all for reading, commenting and sharing your own stories!
sablemable says
LOL, I just remember a story about our house. Seems that Mr. LaMantia was set on having a 2-car attached garage. But the builder, Mr. Sorce, convinced him otherwise. See, Mr. Sorce was also building his home on the corner lot next door and a multi-car garage would have shrunk the size of Sorce’s backyard. So the LaMantias ended up with a 1-car attached.
Interesting note: these 2 men argued over the garage in Italian, LOL! Lots of arm and hand gestures!
This area was once heavily populated by Italians/Sicilians and Germans.
Katherine says
We knew the previous owners of the ranch house I grew up in in Grand Rapids, Michigan — I went to elementary school with the original owner’s grandson. Growing up I took it for granted that I knew the history of our house — what had been added on and when, where someone had tripped and gotten stitches, etc. Now that my family has moved out of the house, I miss it — I wish the current owner would call me back to have a few cocktails and look at photos. What a great post — and a great idea.
Jennifer says
What a wonderful story! I too am a firm believer in a house having a “soul” so to speak and it can offer up either happy or unhappy feelings. It seems like so many MCM houses offer up the happy kind, I think because when they were built, our country was going through a period of such hope and looking forward to the future! I too hope to own my own MCM house one day and it would be awesome if I could meet the original owners as well! I look forward to checking out Averyl’s blog! Thank you for posting this!
xo
Jennifer
http://milliedeel.blogspot.com/