Showing posts with label Meet my Neighbors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meet my Neighbors. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Meet my Neighbors: Make it Happen 2012
The Make It Happen event started in 2010 with Miss Maggie’s house (read about it and find pictures here) on 2nd Street. Preservation SOS organized a day where the neighborhood would show up to make small repairs, paint and landscape Miss Maggie's house. The experience was just as amazing as the transformations you see on
Since then there have been two other successful Make It Happen Events (see a few pictures of Oscar's and Kenneth's home transformations here), all because of a nomination and participation of caring neighbors.
This summer, Preservation SOS teamed up with The Well at Springfield, and together we were excited to Make It Happen for Ms. Mattie!
Ms. Mattie is a senior, long-time Springfield resident of more than 30 years who lives in a cute little bungalow in our neighborhood. More than 50 neighbors gathered over the course of the day to paint, landscape, and fix up the outside in order to help Ms. Mattie. All supplies were donated. Hard to believe, eh? That is Springfield, in a nutshell.
I stayed, scraped, and painted until the heat got the better of me and made me slink back into the cool darkness like a Vampire at dawn. These projects bring out the best in all of us, and they nourish our souls, for a lack of better description. Here are a few pictures of the event that happened in July.
Eager volunteers arriving in the early morning (to beat the heat -and- the clock)
Supplies, supplies, supplies!
Scraping, digging, spreading gravel
Teamwork!
Neighbors lending a hand
Lunch break!
Two neighbors went all out and set up a fantastic lunch buffet
for the volunteers. OH-MY-GOD, it was SO good!
Amazing transformation (and a hint of things to come at the Ugly Duckling)
Big change
Friday, March 16, 2012
Meet my Neighbors: Springfield Dog Park
People in Historic Springfield have a love for almost everything and everyone, including our two- and four-legged furry and feathery friends. From chicken and goats to cats and dogs and everything in between, you'll find lovers of all of these here in Historic Springfield.
We also have our own neighborhood dog park which to a large part was funded by the Springfield Women Club! You'll find the Springfield Dog Park, a FREE off-leash dog park, in Confederate Park at 956 Hubbard Street in Historic Springfield (click here for a link to a map).
We took Mio there last week for a quick meet and greet with some of the neighborhood pooches to help him get acclimated and socialized. It was a little windy and overcast, but not too cold for a quick first outing.
It's a great place if you want to take your dog out for a spin: there are separate, fenced in areas for small dogs and large dogs, shade covers and benches for tired owners, pick-up stations in case your pooch leaves a present and you forgot to bring a bag for the mess, water fountains for both, four-legged and two-legged creatures and it's lit so you can even come (or stay) when it gets dark!
You also get to meet nice people, both from the 'hood as well as those who come visit on a regular basis.
Mio was busy checking out the trees; his nose was going into overdrive from all the smells, even though he wasn't too thrilled about meeting other and much bigger dogs. He was quite happy they were on the other side of the fence.
Pick-up station with trash can - how handy.
Looking for a dog park near you in Jacksonville?
Just follow this handy-dandy link to a map of Jacksonville for more
We also have our own neighborhood dog park which to a large part was funded by the Springfield Women Club! You'll find the Springfield Dog Park, a FREE off-leash dog park, in Confederate Park at 956 Hubbard Street in Historic Springfield (click here for a link to a map).
We took Mio there last week for a quick meet and greet with some of the neighborhood pooches to help him get acclimated and socialized. It was a little windy and overcast, but not too cold for a quick first outing.It's a great place if you want to take your dog out for a spin: there are separate, fenced in areas for small dogs and large dogs, shade covers and benches for tired owners, pick-up stations in case your pooch leaves a present and you forgot to bring a bag for the mess, water fountains for both, four-legged and two-legged creatures and it's lit so you can even come (or stay) when it gets dark!
You also get to meet nice people, both from the 'hood as well as those who come visit on a regular basis.
Mio was busy checking out the trees; his nose was going into overdrive from all the smells, even though he wasn't too thrilled about meeting other and much bigger dogs. He was quite happy they were on the other side of the fence.
Pick-up station with trash can - how handy.Looking for a dog park near you in Jacksonville?
Just follow this handy-dandy link to a map of Jacksonville for more
Friday, March 2, 2012
Meet my Neighbors: Springfield Disc Golf
My neighborhood is special. Not only does it come with beautiful old houses, tree-lined alleys and huge potential, but with great people from all walks of life.
"Most move here for the houses, but they stay for the people."
That's pretty much Springfield's motto and boy, does it ring true. There is always so much going on, from monthly block parties, Mommies group, Gardening Club, our own neighborhood animal rescue, Wandering Cocktail Party, Urban Farming and, and, and - the list goes on. While my neighbors in Springfield couldn't be any more different and diverse, they all share a a passionate and adventurous spirit. Sure, we do clash over some topics. Tempers flare. People can and will hold old grudges, but yet ... it's like siblings: fighting and nagging and competing but nobody beats my brother (or sister) but me.
Oh, and we can't stop talking. Not like you would have noticed.
Kim Heyde had an idea, a passion for Springfield and after a little more than a year, her passionate idea took shape and we got to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Springfield Disc Golf Course last weekend!
Disc ...wha?
Disc Golf. Yeah, I know.
I had never heard about it before either so I was totally confused about the hubbub and excitement. If you call it "Frisbee Golf" it might make more sense. Imagine agolf course, instead of little holes in the ground you have baskets and instead of whacking golfball around, you throw frisbees.
Got it?
We went to the Grand Opening for a first taste and it's surprisingly a whole lot of fun. So much fun that Little Man was deeply disappointed and in tears when the next morning greeted us with rain and kept us from going back for another round of disc golf.
You should really check it out. It's kind of like a hip, alternative type of activity for any age group. You get to spend some leisurely time outside, amble through a park with views of Downtown Jax and beautiful old houses and you could even bring a picnic basket and a blanket.
You'll find the big sign with a map of the course and the rules on the corner of 2nd Street and Boulevard at Klutho Park, and it's easy to park in that corner too.
Here're a few links I found for you
"Most move here for the houses, but they stay for the people."
That's pretty much Springfield's motto and boy, does it ring true. There is always so much going on, from monthly block parties, Mommies group, Gardening Club, our own neighborhood animal rescue, Wandering Cocktail Party, Urban Farming and, and, and - the list goes on. While my neighbors in Springfield couldn't be any more different and diverse, they all share a a passionate and adventurous spirit. Sure, we do clash over some topics. Tempers flare. People can and will hold old grudges, but yet ... it's like siblings: fighting and nagging and competing but nobody beats my brother (or sister) but me.
Oh, and we can't stop talking. Not like you would have noticed.
Kim Heyde had an idea, a passion for Springfield and after a little more than a year, her passionate idea took shape and we got to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Springfield Disc Golf Course last weekend!
Disc ...wha?
[Disc Golf Goal]
Disc Golf. Yeah, I know.
I had never heard about it before either so I was totally confused about the hubbub and excitement. If you call it "Frisbee Golf" it might make more sense. Imagine agolf course, instead of little holes in the ground you have baskets and instead of whacking golfball around, you throw frisbees.
Got it?
We went to the Grand Opening for a first taste and it's surprisingly a whole lot of fun. So much fun that Little Man was deeply disappointed and in tears when the next morning greeted us with rain and kept us from going back for another round of disc golf.
You should really check it out. It's kind of like a hip, alternative type of activity for any age group. You get to spend some leisurely time outside, amble through a park with views of Downtown Jax and beautiful old houses and you could even bring a picnic basket and a blanket.
You'll find the big sign with a map of the course and the rules on the corner of 2nd Street and Boulevard at Klutho Park, and it's easy to park in that corner too.
Here're a few links I found for you
- Find Springfield Disc Golf on Facebook here
- Check out the Springfield Disc Golf webpage here
- Learn more about the entire process, from the idea to the Grand Finale here
- Check out the thought process behind designing the logo here
Won't you come out and play?
Friday, February 17, 2012
Mothballing 101
Remember this ol' gal here? (No, not me, the house!)
I wrote about our day helping clean up this historic duplex and gave you a tour of the interior with its many preserved historic details here and also invited you to the virtual version of the "Open House in this post.
Not only has this house witnessed many moments in the history of Jacksonville and the US, seen Springfield rise, decline and rise again, been a home to many diverse people, but after passing its final inspection last week, it has also become the symbol and face of a brand-new legislation that will be a blessing to our historic districts: the mothballing ordinance.
What on earth is a mothballing ordinance??
I mean, everybody knows what a mothball is but what does that have to do with historic districts?
The Mothball Legislation or rather, Ordinance 2011-408, which passed this past fall amends current zoning code to allow owners of condemned buildings in Jacksonville's historic districts to "mothball" them instead of demolishing them.
(Remember, "condemned" only means that your house is not up to modern code and you're missing the "certificate of occupation"; the only thing "wrong" with your house might be something trivial such as that you don't have a working bathroom, NOT that it will fall on your head the moment you look at it).
Once a historic structure is gone, it is gone for good. It cannot ever be replaced. Sure, infill can be made to look historically accurate to the district but it is not what makes a district historic. Preserving a historic home is a challenging feat and often, not for the faint of heart. In past years, Code Enforcement has been having a regular ball in Springfield, helped by the fact that our neighborhood's eclectic mix of home owners includes members of low-income brackets. When faced with Code Enforcement's demands paired with huge, daily fines being levied on them, the outcome for those with strained or no resources to restore the building immediately was often demolition through the city.
Don't get me wrong: Code Enforcement does an important job and I appreciate their concern for the safety and welfare in housing issues, however, nothing in modern municipal code accounted for the special needs and challenges of historic districts and their structures.
Originally this policy was intended to encourage the owners to sell the properties but you can guess what it did in a stressed real estate market like the one we've been dealing with these past couple of years.
Also, the new owner would have to deal with the same dilemma of having to immediately and fully restore the building or face demolition disregarding the fact that the restoration of a historic house usually takes years. Current code does not allow for this time.
Mothballing allows the owner of a historic structure in our historic districts to delay full restoration of a condemned house over a time period of five years during which the home owner is save from daily fines through Code Enforcement. That, on average, gives the home owner about $250/day to invest into the restoration rather than paying the fine or having it accumulate as a lien on the property. Can you imagine having to deal with $250 rolling fines Every. Day???
The house has to be stabilized following a strict standard set forth by the Historic Preservation Committee, needs to be inspected and pass that inspection to make sure that the house is protected from the elements and safe in regard to surrounding neighbors, and be maintained and kept up during the mothballing period to prevent blight.
You know, just like we did with the Walnut Court house which got a fresh exterior paint job, had its windows securely boarded with ventilation slits, siding repairs and roof repairs and even some landscaping to make it blend right in.
No, the owner does not get a tax break. For some odd reason the "trolls" online are always concerned that somebody else is getting a free ride but this is not the case. Mothballing helps the owner to save the house and gives them somewhat of a breather, allowing for more time to work on it as time and resources allow (you can and are actually encouraged to continue to work on your house but without Code Enforcement breathing down your neck), find financing or even a buyer to undertake the restoration.
A mothballed house's renovations have to pass municipal inspections when work has been done, just like any other house. We just get exemptions from some requirements if an element is restored to its original historical state, not for electrical or plumbing.
Oh, and the owner? Guess what? Has still to pay property taxes, make mortgage payments and figure out how to deal with the fines acquired until the house was officially mothballed.
Really, trolls, no free ride, just a fighting chance to preserve the historic fabric of our town :o)
And you know what? I truly believe, I -KNOW- it is working.
If you have any questions regarding mothballing your property in our historic districts, can't reach an owner of an endangered structure, need help navigating the application process or need any help in preservation issues, feel free to contact the awesome folks at Preservation SOS
Not only has this house witnessed many moments in the history of Jacksonville and the US, seen Springfield rise, decline and rise again, been a home to many diverse people, but after passing its final inspection last week, it has also become the symbol and face of a brand-new legislation that will be a blessing to our historic districts: the mothballing ordinance.
What on earth is a mothballing ordinance??
I mean, everybody knows what a mothball is but what does that have to do with historic districts?
The Mothball Legislation or rather, Ordinance 2011-408, which passed this past fall amends current zoning code to allow owners of condemned buildings in Jacksonville's historic districts to "mothball" them instead of demolishing them.(Remember, "condemned" only means that your house is not up to modern code and you're missing the "certificate of occupation"; the only thing "wrong" with your house might be something trivial such as that you don't have a working bathroom, NOT that it will fall on your head the moment you look at it).
Once a historic structure is gone, it is gone for good. It cannot ever be replaced. Sure, infill can be made to look historically accurate to the district but it is not what makes a district historic. Preserving a historic home is a challenging feat and often, not for the faint of heart. In past years, Code Enforcement has been having a regular ball in Springfield, helped by the fact that our neighborhood's eclectic mix of home owners includes members of low-income brackets. When faced with Code Enforcement's demands paired with huge, daily fines being levied on them, the outcome for those with strained or no resources to restore the building immediately was often demolition through the city.
Don't get me wrong: Code Enforcement does an important job and I appreciate their concern for the safety and welfare in housing issues, however, nothing in modern municipal code accounted for the special needs and challenges of historic districts and their structures.
Originally this policy was intended to encourage the owners to sell the properties but you can guess what it did in a stressed real estate market like the one we've been dealing with these past couple of years.
Also, the new owner would have to deal with the same dilemma of having to immediately and fully restore the building or face demolition disregarding the fact that the restoration of a historic house usually takes years. Current code does not allow for this time.
Mothballing allows the owner of a historic structure in our historic districts to delay full restoration of a condemned house over a time period of five years during which the home owner is save from daily fines through Code Enforcement. That, on average, gives the home owner about $250/day to invest into the restoration rather than paying the fine or having it accumulate as a lien on the property. Can you imagine having to deal with $250 rolling fines Every. Day???
The house has to be stabilized following a strict standard set forth by the Historic Preservation Committee, needs to be inspected and pass that inspection to make sure that the house is protected from the elements and safe in regard to surrounding neighbors, and be maintained and kept up during the mothballing period to prevent blight.
You know, just like we did with the Walnut Court house which got a fresh exterior paint job, had its windows securely boarded with ventilation slits, siding repairs and roof repairs and even some landscaping to make it blend right in.
No, the owner does not get a tax break. For some odd reason the "trolls" online are always concerned that somebody else is getting a free ride but this is not the case. Mothballing helps the owner to save the house and gives them somewhat of a breather, allowing for more time to work on it as time and resources allow (you can and are actually encouraged to continue to work on your house but without Code Enforcement breathing down your neck), find financing or even a buyer to undertake the restoration.
A mothballed house's renovations have to pass municipal inspections when work has been done, just like any other house. We just get exemptions from some requirements if an element is restored to its original historical state, not for electrical or plumbing.
Oh, and the owner? Guess what? Has still to pay property taxes, make mortgage payments and figure out how to deal with the fines acquired until the house was officially mothballed.
Really, trolls, no free ride, just a fighting chance to preserve the historic fabric of our town :o)
And you know what? I truly believe, I -KNOW- it is working.
Mothballing.
BEST.THING.EVER.
BEST.THING.EVER.
If you have any questions regarding mothballing your property in our historic districts, can't reach an owner of an endangered structure, need help navigating the application process or need any help in preservation issues, feel free to contact the awesome folks at Preservation SOS
call/text: (904) 335-8SOS
email: preservationsos@yahoo.com
facebook: PreservationSOS
Web: http://forum.preservationsos.org/
email: preservationsos@yahoo.com
facebook: PreservationSOS
Web: http://forum.preservationsos.org/
Monday, January 9, 2012
Rocking the Open House: Walnut Court
Whenever I look at the first picture, I'm rendered speechless that this historic house was not only condemned and slated for demolition but that the bulldozer was waiting just down the alley. There was some serious luck involved that the contractor who won the demolition bid was able to get the right people involved and stall the demo long enough so they had a chance to pull this house back from the abyss and turn it into the first ever, legally mothballed structure in Jacksonville.
Over the past couple of weeks many volunteers pitched in countless hours pooling knowledge and resources, to clean and prepare this Ol' Lady and on Sunday, we got to celebrate! And me, I'm happy to be able to share a few impressions from the Open House:
Preservation SOS Info table
A detail that escaped my attention the first time around: dust corners. These are little brass shapes that are nailed into the corners of each step to keep the dust from building up in the corners thus simplifying the clean up. Aren't they neat?
[I think I want some for the Ugly Duckling]
Visitors enjoying the official tour lead by Nicole Lopez, president of PSOS.
Mingling in the downstairs dining room. Opening the bay windows
Over the past couple of weeks many volunteers pitched in countless hours pooling knowledge and resources, to clean and prepare this Ol' Lady and on Sunday, we got to celebrate! And me, I'm happy to be able to share a few impressions from the Open House:
Condemned, my ...! Walnut Court all prepped and primped and ready for the party
Preservation SOS Info table
A detail that escaped my attention the first time around: dust corners. These are little brass shapes that are nailed into the corners of each step to keep the dust from building up in the corners thus simplifying the clean up. Aren't they neat?[I think I want some for the Ugly Duckling]
Visitors enjoying the official tour lead by Nicole Lopez, president of PSOS. 
Mingling in the downstairs dining room. Opening the bay windows flooded the rooms with light, and the layout is perfect for parties.
The buffet: cheese and dips and crackers, oh my.
Thanks to the gorgeous weather, the party spilled naturally out and onto the porch.
And you know, it felt like the house enjoyed it just as much ...
The buffet: cheese and dips and crackers, oh my.
Thanks to the gorgeous weather, the party spilled naturally out and onto the porch.And you know, it felt like the house enjoyed it just as much ...
Friday, January 6, 2012
Meet my Neighbors: Preservation SOS
Right on par with my New Year's resolution #4: "Spread the Love", I thought I'd give you a peek at what I did on New Year's Eve since it's all in the spirit of spreading the love, on historic homes and my beautiful and special neighborhood. This "Meet my neighbors" type of post will become a regular Friday Feature here at "Little Old House" and I hope you are as excited to meet some of my neighbors as I'm excited to introduce them to you!
So today I'd like you to meet "Preservation SOS" (SOS is short for "Save our Springfield"). In the rather short time since its inception, this grassroots movement of neighbors fighting to preserve historic homes in our neighborhood has grown by leaps and bounds, not just in numbers and sheer support but more importantly in influence on city legislation and overall awareness of preservation of historical structures in our city.
From stepping up to the plate in boarding up vacant structures and cleaning up neglected lots when legal owners wouldn't (or couldn't) and drumming up support for "Acts of Kindness" that beautified the neighborhood, they have recently grown beyond these smaller, yet so effective measures.
Their press release says it best:
On New Year's Eve, Little Man and I hopped over to the first "This Place Matters" house, armed with freshly baked cinnamon rolls and coffee for all, to see if we could pitch in for a couple of hours. You know, if we don't feel like painting stuff at our house, I guess we could at least paint stuff at another, right?
Mind you, this house was on the formal track for demolition. A historic home. In a national historic district. That in itself is a crying shame. These houses are built with supplies that are way higher in quality and with a much higher level of craftsmanship that can not be matched these days. They clean up surprisingly quickly and much more easily than expected, but Code cannot wrap its collective mind around it and well ... isn't helping. In fact, it's rather aggressively working against all that is good and noble in regard to these historic homes and would love to see the entire 'hood razed, asap.
Anyways, this is the house at Walnut Court. The previous owner couldn't keep up with the demands imposed by code anymore and finally just gave up. Fortunately, he was willing to go above and beyond what is expected to save this house and donated it to PSOS. I loved it from the first moment I saw it.
423 Walnut Court was originally built as a duplex. It's a two-story vernacular style wooden frame house with a large two-story front porch. According to the property appraiser webpage it was built in 1916 (or possibly earlier, just like the Ugly Duckling) and features 2376 sq ft. living space (not counting the porches).
Taking a look at the side: notice the nice straight siding. (it's the fence that's sagging). That Grand Old Lady is still rocking an excellent posture! All primed and ready for some fresh exterior paint. Walnut Court is the first house to be officially mothballed (more on mothballing later) i.e., to be secured and boarded up to wait for better times with the blessings of the city officials.
This is the entry hall downstairs. The previous owner removed all plaster walls, painstakingly pulled out every! nail and laid bare the stunning frame work. This is all bolt straight and in incredible condition. Not one funky decrepit stud in sight. And really, that's the hard part. Now all you need to do is add wiring and plumbing and insulation and close'er up with drywall and you're done!
In this pictures you catch a glimpse of the first upstairs bedroom and the upper landing. It's killing me that the newel post is sporting the cables for a light fixture! I think this one here would be perfect for that spot, what do you think? Since the upstairs windows weren't boarded up securely yet you get a great idea of how bright and light this space really is. And since all you see is tree tops, you feel very much like you're out in the country side and not five minutes from downtown.
If you look closely you can spy the ghost of the patterned hardwood floors underneath the dust. The floors are in really great shape. Much better even than here at the Ugly Duckling before the repairs. I didn't notice any obvious termite damage and heck, this is Florida. Termites are everywhere.
This is the fireplace in the upstairs apartment. That old water heater is history (Go tankless, I'm telling you!) - good riddance. More lovely floors. The kitchen is in the back behind the fireplace.
The kitchen currently holds a treasure money can't really buy: part of the original trim of the house. I was assured that -all- of the original trim - picture rails, base molding, etc. - was safely stored in a storage pod. Each piece is hand labeled so it can return to its original spot. Can't buy this stuff at the blue or orange box ...
Watching somebody paint a house with a paint sprayer is the ultimate kick. If you didn't already love spray paint before, this will push you over the edge.
Look! Gratuitous bare chest shot! (Nice hard-working guys, both of them)
Stuff like this makes me squeal with delight, I'm telling you. How adorable is this little dormer? Just for a roof vent! Today all they manage is to slap some rectangular boxes on rooftops and call it a day...
So today I'd like you to meet "Preservation SOS" (SOS is short for "Save our Springfield"). In the rather short time since its inception, this grassroots movement of neighbors fighting to preserve historic homes in our neighborhood has grown by leaps and bounds, not just in numbers and sheer support but more importantly in influence on city legislation and overall awareness of preservation of historical structures in our city.
From stepping up to the plate in boarding up vacant structures and cleaning up neglected lots when legal owners wouldn't (or couldn't) and drumming up support for "Acts of Kindness" that beautified the neighborhood, they have recently grown beyond these smaller, yet so effective measures.
Their press release says it best:
"Historic homes matter in Springfield. This is the crux of the mission of Preservation SOS; saving the houses. On October 16, 2011, Preservation SOS, a Florida not for profit, incorporated an arm to PSOS called "This Place Matters." This Place Matters obtains historic property with active case files,encumbered with a multitude of code violations,and fosters the unloved and misinterpreted home through guardianship. Homes owned by This Place Matters participate in mothballing, code remediation, and subsequent placement (home is sold) in the hands of a willing and able homeowner. Potential owners are provided with restoration estimates, resources to understand historic codes in Jacksonville, and financial consultation with a local, reputable bank.
To donate a home, or refer a home for donation please contact us at preservationsos@yahoo.com, or call 904-335-8SOS, or become a member of our organization and forum at http://forum.preservationsos.org
Donations are tax-deductible."
To donate a home, or refer a home for donation please contact us at preservationsos@yahoo.com, or call 904-335-8SOS, or become a member of our organization and forum at http://forum.preservationsos.org
Donations are tax-deductible."
On New Year's Eve, Little Man and I hopped over to the first "This Place Matters" house, armed with freshly baked cinnamon rolls and coffee for all, to see if we could pitch in for a couple of hours. You know, if we don't feel like painting stuff at our house, I guess we could at least paint stuff at another, right?
Mind you, this house was on the formal track for demolition. A historic home. In a national historic district. That in itself is a crying shame. These houses are built with supplies that are way higher in quality and with a much higher level of craftsmanship that can not be matched these days. They clean up surprisingly quickly and much more easily than expected, but Code cannot wrap its collective mind around it and well ... isn't helping. In fact, it's rather aggressively working against all that is good and noble in regard to these historic homes and would love to see the entire 'hood razed, asap.
Anyways, this is the house at Walnut Court. The previous owner couldn't keep up with the demands imposed by code anymore and finally just gave up. Fortunately, he was willing to go above and beyond what is expected to save this house and donated it to PSOS. I loved it from the first moment I saw it.
423 Walnut Court was originally built as a duplex. It's a two-story vernacular style wooden frame house with a large two-story front porch. According to the property appraiser webpage it was built in 1916 (or possibly earlier, just like the Ugly Duckling) and features 2376 sq ft. living space (not counting the porches).
Here's what it looked like that morning (lots of pictures to follow, including some with half-naked men so stay tuned!)
That's Curt sweeping in front of the house. The front of the house gets lovely dappled sunlight all day long thanks to those huge old oak trees in front of it. Future a/c and heat bills won't be entirely unpleasant thanks to this very energy efficient orientation of the house. Seriously!
Original entry doors with official paperwork stuck to them.
Wanna go inside?
I know I did! I was DYING to see the inside!
Wanna go inside?
I know I did! I was DYING to see the inside!
Look at the gorgeous hardware with the floral pattern and the double keyhole! How cool is that? All you need is a knob, and these are easy to come by. Try eBay.
Look at those arches! They make my knees go weak ...
Both apartments (upstairs an downstairs) have an entry hall/vestibule, a living room, a dining room (downstairs with the set-up for a pocket door and upstairs via an archway), a kitchen, a bathroom and 2 bedrooms. The rooms feel open and airy, and this would be a darling property to live in one half while renting out the other half.
Both apartments (upstairs an downstairs) have an entry hall/vestibule, a living room, a dining room (downstairs with the set-up for a pocket door and upstairs via an archway), a kitchen, a bathroom and 2 bedrooms. The rooms feel open and airy, and this would be a darling property to live in one half while renting out the other half.
Going up the stairs! See? Bolt straight!
In this pictures you catch a glimpse of the first upstairs bedroom and the upper landing. It's killing me that the newel post is sporting the cables for a light fixture! I think this one here would be perfect for that spot, what do you think? Since the upstairs windows weren't boarded up securely yet you get a great idea of how bright and light this space really is. And since all you see is tree tops, you feel very much like you're out in the country side and not five minutes from downtown.
If you look closely you can spy the ghost of the patterned hardwood floors underneath the dust. The floors are in really great shape. Much better even than here at the Ugly Duckling before the repairs. I didn't notice any obvious termite damage and heck, this is Florida. Termites are everywhere.
This is the fireplace in the upstairs apartment. That old water heater is history (Go tankless, I'm telling you!) - good riddance. More lovely floors. The kitchen is in the back behind the fireplace.
The kitchen currently holds a treasure money can't really buy: part of the original trim of the house. I was assured that -all- of the original trim - picture rails, base molding, etc. - was safely stored in a storage pod. Each piece is hand labeled so it can return to its original spot. Can't buy this stuff at the blue or orange box ...
Watching somebody paint a house with a paint sprayer is the ultimate kick. If you didn't already love spray paint before, this will push you over the edge.
Look! Gratuitous bare chest shot! (Nice hard-working guys, both of them)
Stuff like this makes me squeal with delight, I'm telling you. How adorable is this little dormer? Just for a roof vent! Today all they manage is to slap some rectangular boxes on rooftops and call it a day...
The roof needed some fixing, and if you are considering buying this place a new roof needs to be in the budget. Did you notice the rafter tails? So stinkin' cute!
Hard at work: here are just a handful of volunteers who stopped by that day to pitch in (Sam, Nicole, Debbie and Jamie) . More than a dozen came over just on New Year's Eve (and probably still sported paint sprinkles and splatters at parties later that night).
More rafter tails - I'm officially smitten. If this were my house, I'd paint them a contrasting color to draw attention to them. Yes, I'd even climb a ladder.
They'll look sharp.
They'll look sharp.
Little Man helping paint the porch rail on the upstairs porch,
(with Johannes and Gloria in the back).
(with Johannes and Gloria in the back).
We have a heart for historic homes: The boards in front of the windows are required to have venting holes, so they are arranged in a heart shape. Every historic home needs some loving, even one without (yet) a forever family ...
Curt painting away on the downstairs porch.
The Grand Old Lady with a new coat of fresh paint. Can you see the potential now?
Photos are never enough so if you want to see this ol' house in person you should swing by on
Sunday, January 8, 2012
at 3:00pm
for an Open House Wine & Cheese Party
at 423 Walnut Court in Historic Springfield, Jacksonville FL.
(click here for directions)
Photos are never enough so if you want to see this ol' house in person you should swing by on
Sunday, January 8, 2012
at 3:00pm
for an Open House Wine & Cheese Party
at 423 Walnut Court in Historic Springfield, Jacksonville FL.
(click here for directions)
You might even get to meet lil' ol' me :o)
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