This old house

Here's a neato old picture of our house.

Is that you in the carriage?

Looks like a buckboard.

Its interesting how styles change... Is it just the photo or had they parged some kind of concrete over the stones?

Originally posted by Griff
Its interesting how styles change... Is it just the photo or had they parged some kind of concrete over the stones?

It's hard to tell, I can't see the photocopy of the photo clearly enough. There are lots of stone houses with stucco over it around here though. It looks pretty when it's in bad shape and you can see stone thru it...

And no, it's not me. Smartass.

One of the styles that seems to be unique to this area is using small stones and having more morter than stone showing. I've seen a number of houses and barns built that way.
Jinx, I agree the missing patches of stucco on the stone or brick buildings looks cool. I have however seen some new houses where they tried to replicate that look and it just didn't look right. It look too contrived.

[COLOR=indigo]Post the old one with a new one from the same angle, please?[/COLOR]

Originally posted by OnyxCougar
[COLOR=indigo]Post the old one with a new one from the same angle, please?[/COLOR]

Ok, I'll try...

<img src="http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL205/1498938/3208057/40786327.jpg" >

<img src="http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL205/1498938/3208057/40786332.jpg" >

<img src="http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL205/1498938/3208057/40786342.jpg">

Originally posted by xoxoxoBruce
One of the styles that seems to be unique to this area is using small stones and having more morter than stone showing. I've seen a number of houses and barns built that way.
Jinx, I agree the missing patches of stucco on the stone or brick buildings looks cool. I have however seen some new houses where they tried to replicate that look and it just didn't look right. It look too contrived.

Yes! There's a brand new castle-sized home not far from here with the 'stone showing thru' look.... looks like it belongs at disney or something...

Jinx, how the hell did you ever get the picture? And how old is the house?

We have never been able to learn much history of our place, no date even on the title or other docs. Some old timer did tell us that when a house down the road was built in 1896 ours was already standing. When knocked out a wall to make the living room bigger (using a "porch" that was a "recent" addition), all of the newspapers that were stuffed around the windows for insulation were local papers with news that we had dropped the A-Bomb on Japan. Pretty cool but I have yet to find anything of interest in the "main" house.

Also I'm still trying to figure out the purpose of some of one of our outbuildings (there are 4) with a second story loft type door (going to nothing....no second story) and cement floor, with a sort of wainscotting about 2' high all around the inside.

Anyway, hell of a cool picture there.

Originally posted by blue58
Jinx, how the hell did you ever get the picture? And how old is the house?

Also I'm still trying to figure out the purpose of some of one of our outbuildings (there are 4) with a second story loft type door (going to nothing....no second story) and cement floor, with a sort of wainscotting about 2' high all around the inside.

Anyway, hell of a cool picture there.

Do you have any pictures?
We looked at a house built in 1817, with a cement floored attic with a large window - it was for storing bodies during the winter. The caskets would be raised and lowered thru the window. Sounds like what was going on in your outbuilding....

We've seen several dates for this house, and best we can figure is the original stone section is from the 1830's, and the cedar addition is from 1865.
The previous owners gave us a copy of the picture, an article about one of the previous owners (doctor who used this as a home and office), the national historic register certificate thingy, and a magazine in which the house is featured.

I'll post some interior shots I tooks the other night when it was clean....

I don't have any pictures at the moment, will post one when I can get them converted.

"storing bodies during the winter"

Geez, I thought maybe it was for grain or something, I'll be thinking of you tonight while not sleeping because I'm all freaked out.

They had to put 'em somewhere, lol....
Post pics when you can - I love looking at these old places.

Here are some interior shots
http://tinyurl.com/2xdb6

Can we have a picture with either brighter lights or one taken during the daytime? :rolleyes:

oooh, I'm lovin that bathtub! Looks like a nice place to hide :)

Originally posted by Elspode
Can we have a picture with either brighter lights or one taken during the daytime? :rolleyes:

Originally posted by blue58
I don't have any pictures at the moment, will post one when I can get them converted.

"storing bodies during the winter"

Geez, I thought maybe it was for grain or something, I'll be thinking of you tonight while not sleeping because I'm all freaked out.

I think corn is a good bet.

Nice digs, Jim. And the pic is cool...looks like a modern subject by Currier and Ives or something.

So, the house has undergone some pretty serious changes in 100 years, huh?

I fixed our hot water heater today. Replaced both elements and thermostats. I got cool double elements that will heat the water faster.

Will the wiring handle the increased wattage safely?

I've been meaning for years to replace the anode rod in mine and flush the thing out, but I'm afraid if I touch it, it will just start leaking all over the place and then it will be an emergency and I'll just have to replace the entire thing. so I'll ignore it some more.

Good job. LJ.

xoxoxoBruce;638308 wrote:

Will the wiring handle the increased wattage safely?

they're still 4500....they just loop back so there is more contact area.

glatt wrote:

I've been meaning for years to replace the anode rod in mine and flush the thing out, but I'm afraid if I touch it, it will just start leaking all over the place and then it will be an emergency and I'll just have to replace the entire thing. so I'll ignore it some more.

Good job. LJ.

My brother talked me through this job on the phone, and it was easy. he said you should flush your tank every 6 months or so. This is a 3 year old heater, and i had never flushed it. The hot water ran brown for a while after i refilled it.

It just occurred to me that we say 'hot water heater'

that's like saying toast toaster.

Ours is original to when we bought the house, and I've never flushed it in those 13 years. I bet if I flushed it, I would need to replace the valve. It's got a plastic valve, and those always scratch for me and then leak. I hate plumbing.

start saving now for a new one? I don't think they're that much.... I think I remember mine being around $300-$400. And my brother put it in for beer and chinese food...

Yeah, I should at least start looking at the different options so when it does die, I know what to get.

lumberjim;638340 wrote:

It just occurred to me that we say 'hot water heater'

that's like saying toast toaster.

I guess it could be a boiler for a radiator system if it was just a 'water heater'? :confused:

Our radiator boiler operates at 180 F. So it's not even a "boiler" there. I call it a furnace, even though I know it's not.

What a beautiful house!

Thanks Dana!

We're in the midst of a monsoon so this minor issue just became major... Why would the second floor window area be leaky?

Shown here above the Liberty, missing a shutter:


Not the actual glass area, but the stone around it. Today the plaster is sloughing off the interior wall and dripping onto the steps shown here:




The front of the house was definitely repointed about 15 years ago - I assumed the rest of the house was done at the same time, but if not, is that the problem/solution?

Its the fucking Squirrels seeking revenge !!!

jinx;640712 wrote:

Thanks Dana!

We're in the midst of a monsoon so this minor issue just became major... Why would the second floor window area be leaky?

Shown here above the Liberty, missing a shutter:


Not the actual glass area, but the stone around it. Today the plaster is sloughing off the interior wall and dripping onto the steps shown here:




The front of the house was definitely repointed about 15 years ago - I assumed the rest of the house was done at the same time, but if not, is that the problem/solution?

I'd bet the water is working it's way in from the seam of the roof along the bay if it isn't being blown in the front.

(OOPS! 2nd floor not third... no idea)