Please help me understand this old house.

3 years ago

I have purchased this sad 1900 house in the Pacific Northwest. It is occupied through August, so all I can do is obsess. I want to learn more about its history and I know where to go in the city, county, and historical society, but I realize I don’t know much about houses – or lives – at the turn of the century. My mind skips from Victorian to Arts and Crafts.

The house is 1960 square feet, almost evenly divided between the main floor and the full daylight basement. The basement, the stucco, and the gable front are not typical. The surrounding houses were built in 1947-8. I can’t quite picture this house all by it’s lonesome for 50 years.

Along the way someone enclosed the exterior stair from the kitchen to the interior basement stairs and created a back entrance. There wouldn’t have been another stair in a house this size, would there? Who were these people and what were they doing in this basement?

Also, I’m wondering about the concrete border. I thought it might be remnants of a fence, but maybe it’s just decorative? It is raising the level of the yard. Is there a name for this? Retaining wall doesn’t create the right impression.

I appreciate any insights!

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PRO

Flo Mangan

3 years ago

It looks more to me like a post WWII bungalow with possibly the porch added on the 70s. A good power washing would be helpful. In the 1900 many basements were used as “cellars” to store home canned goods and root vegetables along with some other provisions and to have a safe space from bad weather conditions. I would start your search with records in local government offices or even if there is a public library nearby. Most libraries have stored old newspapers and other pictures of town and surrounding areas. We bought a 1900 Victorian Farmhouse in the 80s but it was 3 Stories and 17 rooms! Once we moved in and started improving the property, we had a cousin of the 93 old owner that came by and gave us old photographs of the house! It was a great gift and surprisingly, the flower beds and porch improvements we were planning were exact replicas of the photos she gave us. She was so excited we were going to honor the house. The photos were on glass. They were old! So something like this might happen for you too. Even doing research can open ideas and information that can lead to more insights. Good luck on your search. The house has great potential and you will have a ball fixing it up.

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Comments (6)

cat_ky
3 years ago
Its a very cute house. Congratulations on your new home. I dont know much of anything about your area, so, impossible to tell you any history of the house, however, I can tell you that the concrete barrier, is in fact a shorter retaining wall. It is keeping the soil from the yard from washing away during a rainstorm. It is also quite attractive and adds something to the yard. It looks like you have a lot of landscaping. I would also be thinking about a nice brighter color for the front door. It is lacking a bit of color in that area, along with some cute colorful chairs and a small table to set coffee, etc on That porch isnt huge, but, with just a few accessories, it can be adorable, and looks to me like a great place to have morning coffee, or just sit and watch the world go by.
Diana Kepner thanked cat_ky
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cpartist
3 years ago
Start by joining these two groups on FB.

The Arts and Crafts Movement

American Bungalow

Then head to your local library and see if you can find books by Jane Powell or Paul Duchscherer to get some ideas of what the early 1900's houses might have been like.
Diana Kepner thanked cpartist
Sigrid
3 years ago
When you own the house, go to the basement and look at the structure. That might tell you if walls were moved. People are less likely to paint and repair the attic and basement, so that's where clues are.
Diana Kepner thanked Sigrid
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Flo Mangan
3 years ago
Agree with Sigrid. In 1900 most “basements” were dry stacked stone with no mortar. If there is mortar, the house was either moved or lifted for new foundation. If there is knob and tube wiring, replacement will be needed for safety and to safely power modern fixtures and appliances such as hair dryers etc. Plumbing also needs to be examined and replaced. Check septic system too if the plumbing hasn’t been hooked up to city water. Those are key things I would get inspected by experts in those areas.
Diana Kepner thanked Flo Mangan
colleenoz
3 years ago
Where I live in Australia that type of fence is quite common, with decorative iron rails (either horizontal or vertical) or wooden palings in between the stone uprights. Have a look to see if there are any holes in the uprights which would have been where the supporting rails for the infill fence were attached.
Diana Kepner thanked colleenoz