Conversation with Previous Owner

The other night I was going through my house information on the computer and came across these notes I took after speaking with the previous owners on January 20, 2001:

They bought the house in 1964 for $7500 and sold it for $18,000 sometime in the mid seventies. Today, it's listed on zillow for over $325K.

The house was heated by oil and had a tank in basement, which one time overflowed and went all over the floor. Today, it's now forced air gas and the only thing that spills is some paint from time to time.

In 1967, they installed aluminum siding. They removed the old asbestos siding and it cost them $5000. She said that the wood siding underneath is most likely in good shape as her father was good about removing rot. Today, the exterior is the original dutch lap siding that I restored in summer of 2001. I removed that same aluminum siding that they installed 34 years before.

In 1969, the day man first walked on the moon, they put the sidewalk from the front door to the street in. Her kids did their hand prints and names (Tommy and Bobby?) just to the right of the front door as you’re facing it. They were the ones who opened up the staircase. They had the 50’s style cone shaped fireplace on the woodstove area. Today, it is....

















The dining room was supposedly the original house. They also removed old french doors in dining room and installed the sliding door. They said they had found square nails in the door frame. Today, I'm planning on removing the sliding glass door they installed and installing french doors.

They had poured the concrete off the dining room for the patio. Today, the concrete exists but was broken up in 1999 and reinstalled with creeping thyme planted in the cracks.

The back utility room was put up by them. They also gutted and refinished the kitchen and the bathroom. There was a fire before them in the back porch area. They had dug out the basement crawl space, and they installed a roof in the early seventies but they knew someone had put the brown roof on after them. In 1997, I had to have a new roof put on. There were FOUR layers of previous roofs. The bottom being wood shingles.

There was no 6-foot fence but rather hedges all around. There was also a garage in the back. Today, it's just grass, a waterfall, and a lattice shed in the back.

In 1966, they planted the cherry tree. Today, it's HUGE.

Their kids used the attic above the kitchen as a play area and they put a floor in there. Today, it is a second bathroom and part of an enlarged bedroom.

Historic Finds

So far, the status of the dining remodel project is establishing lighting for the stove area. Due to the intense heat from the stove, expense, and possible futility of lighting an area blocked by the stove, I decided to bag the idea of uplighting the oak tree mural. Now, my focus is on a couple of spotlights from up above.

Last week I took down the existing hideous chandelier and cut some holes in the ceiling. The intent of this was to get an understanding of the existing wiring configuration and how to manipulate it for my new hip and cool stove spotlights. I love digging into the walls and ceilings of my house in hopes of uncovering some cool history involved with house. Unfortunately, nothing was uncovered this time, other than some fake vampire fangs. But I did want to share some old newspaper finds that was used to mortar the chimney.

This is from a newsletter type paper called the "North Pacific Union Gleaner" which I am assuming is a religious newsletter, probably Seventh Day Adventist. The date is October 2, 1919.
















Here are some interesting business notices from the newsletter:



















Here's an ad for a tailor, with a special 10% discount for being a Seventh Day Adventist:

And finally, the treasure I've uncovered. A 1937 penny that I found under a patio I broke up some years ago:

Montavilla

The neighborhood I live in is called Montavilla and it celebrating it's 100 year this year. I have been really surprised with all the hoopla lately in the neighborhood and especially the little business district that is 2 blocks from my house. When I first moved here 11 years ago, the business district was avoided since there was nothing worthwhile except for Flying Pie pizza and Ya Hala - huge favorites among many Portlanders. Within the last year, a theater has gone in, a very cool coffee shop, and a wine bar. Rumor has it, we're going to get a fine dining restaurant, possible a sporting goods store with a skate park, and possibly a Trader Joe's.

I really started this blog to share progress with family and friends from out of town. I haven't done much lately, except get this pile of lathes down into the basement. Whoop-ee.

Blue Cheese Burger Sauce Draw Diner's Acclaim!

Before I started on this whole project, I was really banking on finding a HUGE sum of cash hidden in the walls to help me pay the expenses of the remodel. Or at least a treasure map.

This is what I have uncovered:

At least it gives me an idea of when the wall was modified - 1982. Sort of interesting. Sort of not.

Wow! Corn Flakes were only 69 cents! Ohhhhh, those were the days....

















I ended up putting back the newspaper in the wall, though I think it's original intent was insulation. I thought it'd be fun to link the modification to the date. I'll do the same with my remodel - add the sketches and planning, along with some newspaper articles.