My old house (lotsa pics)

Groove · Post by **Groove** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:32 pm

I found some old photos while looking for something else and thought I'd share.

I used to own and operate a Bed & Breakfast with my Wife, until a few years ago. We decided that two full-time jobs, plus the B&B, and parenthood would be too much to bear. I dream of this house frequently and sometimes I wish I still lived there. We sold it to a couple from Brooklyn (assholes), they abandoned it...or lost it to foreclosure. I heard they let the pipes freeze, and the city had to shut the water off days later. I almost cried when I heard that...I'm sure the damage is irreversible. I can't help but feel it's some sort of insurance scam, the replacement value of the home would easily be over a million if properly restored. Every floor was a different hardwood, some with walnut inlays. The glass in the turret is curved to match the walls, and there's 14' stained glass windows on the landing. The doors are solid 3" thick and have ornate brass hinges, and the bathrooms have marble showers & floors. The front porch is 1500 square feet, with a 13' overhang. Oh, and it has a FOUR CAR GARAGE!

God I wish I'd never sold this place. Please hoist a cold frosty beverage for the old painted lady. </pity party>

Bo_9 · Post by **Bo_9** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:44 pm

Dear lord that's an awesome pad!

monstergirl · Post by **monstergirl** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:14 pm

Lovely. I can see why you miss it.

EIF · Post by **EIF** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:20 pm

Many, many entertaining parties were held at the B&B. We were all sad to see it deteriorate to its current condition.

Only hope would be the city takes it for taxes.

Flatline · Post by **Flatline** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:47 am

What the hell were you thinking when you sold that place? That's amazing!

Also, the stuffed moose is rad. Cool points for that.

MoraleHazard · Post by **MoraleHazard** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:38 am

The electric guitar next to the cello or upright bass in the "music room" is so cool; that and the four-poster jacuzzi.

Buy it back; work out a deal w/ the town on the taxes to fix the pipes.

Pattio · Post by **Pattio** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 4:08 am

That is beautiful. My wife and I are drawn to houses like that, and then we have a moment of clarity about jobs and schedules and remember that I am not a contractor, and we start looking at split ranches again, until another awesome white elephant catches our eye.

I sometimes try to watch a show on one of the home-improvement channels where this high-energy redheaded woman in naughty boots auctions off the fixtures of old homes. I love to see the fixtures, and the overall tone of the show is supposed to be positive, with regards to recycling and re-use, but every so often you are reminded what the reason for the auction is: Somebody is going to tear down the house in order to build a 'better' one. Makes my blood boil and I have to change the channel.

I understand why you must still dream of this place, but take it from a guy who's been shopping a long time: there are lots out there, and you can make your own story out of any of them when the time is right for you.

Groove · Post by **Groove** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:42 am

The place needed lots of work while we lived there, I managed to chip away at the important things. Painting the place would have cost me around $17,000 if I hired contractors!

The original owner's Grandson stayed with us one Summer, he showed us where he'd set the trash can on fire in his bedroom. He also told us about how the servants (the maids name was Teotis Bebe) would entertain the school kids in the neighborhood, they'd all come to the Marshall house for popcorn & milk (that was a big deal in the 1890's).

I had a dream the other night that we bought the place back, and it needed nothing. The fact that it was "turn-key" told me this was a dream. The taxes are oppressive.

piccini9 · Post by **piccini9** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:02 am

Beautiful house, the front porch is bigger than my apartment.
One question though, is there some kind of law that all B&B's must have at least one room with floral wallpaper?

Groove · Post by **Groove** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:36 am

piccini9 wrote:Beautiful house, the front porch is bigger than my apartment.
One question though, is there some kind of law that all B&B's must have at least one room with floral wallpaper?

It was period correct. The Victorian era was funky like that.

Sisyphus · Post by **Sisyphus** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:26 am

I didn't see a pipe organ. Where's the pipe organ?

Honestly, nice place. When you sold it, did you take all the furniture with you?
I love the kitchen. I just put a tin (lookalike) cieling in mine. Deciding on cabinets and colors now, how to do the floors correctly for the period.

guitargeek · Post by **guitargeek** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:17 am

When I'm in charge, it'll be a crime to let places like that go to shit.

I spent a summer in a gigantic Victorian monstrosity that had been allowed to freeze, which meant all the plaster cracked and fell off of the walls. The douchebag owners didn't want to spend the money to get the ancient Franklin boiler repaired, so then they had to spend a lot more money to repair the damage the freezing caused. To further their douchebaggery, they hired me to hang drywall instead of getting a professional plastering crew to do the job correctly.

tucko · Post by **tucko** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:51 pm

You sold that place??? Please kick yourself in the ass for me. The hardwood floor in the entryway is amazing...

deaconblooz · Post by **deaconblooz** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:13 pm

We owned a gothic victorian house in PA. It had been converted into a 2 family, then there was a fire and the roof burned off. It sat empty for a year or two until a good family bought it, restored it to a single family home, put in new electric, furnace, plumbing etc. We bought it from them and loved it for about 10 years.

Places like that have to be owned by "old house" people." You have to recognize that - old windows will never close right, the floors will always be...not level, the insulation...sparse, the floors squeaky etc etc etc.

My favorite line...when we bought it. The previous owner who did the whole restoration - from the roof on down said people would come through on the open house and say "it needs a lot of work". She would think to heself - you should have fucking seen it three years ago - asshole.

In other words - we miss the old place too.

Sisyphus · Post by **Sisyphus** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:11 am

No shit. When I told my brother I'd bought an 1850's farmhouse that hadn't been "muddled", he said with a hint of disgust, "Why?"
This coming from Mister Suburbia.

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My old house (lotsa pics)

My old house (lotsa pics)

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