Saving a West End Home: Living History

Note: This post continues the Saving a West End Home Series. Homes in the West End have seen multiple generations come and go. They have been the backdrop for many stories as the neighborhood evolved through different historical eras. Some of the properties have been passed down within a family for multiple generations. Others have been converted from one use to another, like turning a large single family home in to a rooming house. Basic

Small Victory in the Tomato Experiment

Maybe you’ve been following our tomato experiment. A couple of weeks ago we were rejoicing about beating the neighborhood critters. Well, now our plants have succumbed to the blight. Eh. Our five remaining tomato plants still have tons of tomatoes on them, it’s just that we lose about 15 tomatoes for every 1 we harvest. These are some ugly tomatoes… This past week we did declare a small victory, as we were able to save

Saving a West End Home: Preparing for the Future

Note: This post continues the Saving a West End Home series. Not everything in a historic home is worth saving. Consider the furnace. Does anyone want to live in a house with a 105 year old furnace? Especially if it was completely preserved in original condition? It’s possible that someone might, but most buyers and homeowners would prefer to have a modern furnace generating their heat. Not only is it more efficient, it’s also safer.

Saving a West End Home: Preserving the Past

Note: This post continues the Saving a West End Home series, please also see Part 1 and Part 2. Architectural details make West End homes unique and interesting, but also add to the complexity of renovation projects. Christian Winkley, of Oxford Builders, recognized that challenge from the start. Throughout the demolition process he and his team carefully salvaged original fixtures and materials that would eventually be part of the revitalized home. Do Not Disturb Many

Saving a West End Home: The Beginning

Note: This post continues our series on Saving a West End Home. Jan Klein thought about the run-down house next door again. She’d been thinking about it a lot since it was listed for sale. It was an attractive home, one with a considerable amount of architectural character, but it was in desperate need of a new owner who would be willing to take on the years of cumulative wear. As a long-time resident of