Old House Dreams

[CHuDWah]

17 hours ago, alsancle said:

I mentioned this earlier.  This one sold for not a lot of money (relatively speaking) near the center of town but on an side street.   I thought it was pretty cool and would make a neat house.

The problem I see converting a church, lodge hall, etc to a residence is they're mostly one big room, often with a stage or some such structure.  Open concept notwithstanding, it seems it would be tricky to partition into necessary private rooms like bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.

 

4 hours ago, alsancle said:

Right now I’m thinking my dream home is an 1100 square-foot ranch somewhere in Florida.

Yeah, but we got hurricanes and falling iguana.  😉

[John Bloom]

I was going to write a comment saying that there’s no logical reason for an empty nest couple, particularly one that travels quite a bit, to have a huge, needy, maintenance nightmare old house. But then it occurred to me that there’s no logical reason to have a car that is over 100 years old, with priming cups, a crank start, vacuum tank, No heat or air conditioning, at a price two to three times what a new reliable automobile with a warranty would cost......

 

I deleted that ridiculous comment before posting it.

[Larry Schramm]

My wife always wanted one of those Victorian painted ladies.  I knew up front the amount of work to keep that kind of house going with all of the old mechanicals, etc.... not to mention the higher house insurance because of the age and if it had knob & tube wiring, ect....

 

I told her that if she wanted one of those we would build one with all new materials.   We never did both, but did end up wit a mostly brick two story.

[8E45E]

2 hours ago, Bhigdog said:

Not near 100 years old nor classic but I'm putting it here anyway, modesty be damned, because my wife and I built it ourselves in 1971/72. Other than the excavation and having the foundation poured we drove every nail and we did it all from plumbing, heating, electrical, masonry etc with no other help not even labor help.    

Sited on 100 acres the 5 car garage, also self built, is set about 50 feet left of the house, the stable is about 100 feet to the right, and the hobby car garage/work shop/machine shop about 200 feet in front of the house.

Thank you for indulging an aging hobbiest...........Bob

The Lindel Cedar Homes "Classic Prow" has stood the test of time real well, and still is in their catalog:  Lindal Classic Homes and Classic Home Designs | Build a Classic Home

 

If I were to build a new home from scratch, it is what I will build.

 

Craig

[CHuDWah]

7 hours ago, prewarnut said:

FLW did much commercial too. Not all architects are versatile in that way although many enjoy attempting residential commissions....Here's his Imperial Hotel in Tokyo (second version - now destroyed) with some ?American cars parked in front.

 

 

 

Interestingly, Wright designed a temporary annex when the original hotel burned, then went on to design the whole new hotel.  It was damaged by WWII bombing and Wright was invited to design the repair but he refused.

 

5 hours ago, prewarnut said:

+1 for Mckim Mead and White. I think they did a huge service to this country to get our public, governmental and commercial spaces on par with other (European) world powers. (Stanford White's death makes an interesting read BTW....)

The one interesting parallel of FLW to auto design. If you look at his renderings not architectural plans, he'll often pull-out the horizontal lines or parallel verticals akin to how car designers will lengthen style lines. He is definitely polarizing and as most modern critics will say his houses are somewhat difficult to live with or in. 

To the OP not wanting to deflect from the post. I appreciate the hyperlink. There are some interesting homes available albeit many with needed structural issues. 

 

Wright's style is like some cars - it's either loved or hated.  In another post, I said I like Prairie style but I also like most other architectural styles.  But then, I like most cars too.

 

You're welcome for the link and no problem with the thread drift - that's not unusual on an internet forum.  I'm amazed the thread has taken off like it has and I'm enjoying the posts.  Like I said, old car folks also like old houses.  I suppose it's just different applications of the love of history and desire to preserve it.

[Rivguy]

I was interested in historic homes for quite a few years about twenty years ago. Victorians and Craftsmen style, which are available in San Jose in different neighborhoods. Some are in in well established middle class and better neighborhoods, and some were in what could be abbreviated just as the 'hood. Luckily the Wife was always there to keep me from buying something in a "challenging" neighborhood, I guess our current home, a "Brady Bunch" era rancher would qualify as vintage. It had Harvest gold appliances, leather look formica counter tops with dark wood cabinets. Apricot colored shag carpeting and grass cloth in the living areas. The curtains was orange and white plaid, with white over drapery. One of the bed rooms had plaid orange/harvest gold/ avocado green wall paper. One had that Victorian "fake"  newspaper wallpaper. The master bedroom had vine and floral paper.  The house wasa model, and the sale office for the mid 70's development. All of that is now thankfully gone. My oldest bought her Grandfather's old Craftsmen house. It has been updated but not always aesthetically over the years. That cured me of any more interest in old houses. Our 70's house has a much better open floor plan with vaulted ceilings and lots of windows, and sliding glass patio doors. 

 

I was  a dedicated reader of the Old House Journal for years, which is great for enjoying other people's old house experiences.

 

Just a note about 'lake houses." We bought into a points based time share program over twenty five years ago. There are over thirty five locations in our own program and we can also exchange to go to any other timeshare property. This is the perfect vacation home solution, spacious, well maintained, condos located in scenic locations. With no work to do! Two weeks ago we spent a weekend in Pismo Beach. Today I'm writing this at Clear Lake. We go to Tahoe, and Anaheim, often, but our favorite location is in Depot Bay Oregon, located on a cliff not even a hundred feet from the ocean. Not an inexpensive program, but it is considered real property just as a cabin would. It allows the maximum enjoyment with minimum fuss. We enjoyed it when our kids were little and now that they're older, they will still join us on vacation.  We also get away as a couple frequently. Just a thought for other members. 

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Rivguy (see edit history)

[Jim Skelly]

6 minutes ago, Rivguy said:

I was interested in historic homes for quite a few years about twenty years ago. Victorians and Craftsmen style, which are available in San Jose in different neighborhoods. Some are in in well established middle class and better neighborhoods, and some were in what could be abbreviated just as the 'hood. Luckily the Wife was always there to keep me from buying something in a "challenging" neighborhood, I guess our current home, a "Brady Bunch" era rancher would qualify as vintage. It had Harvest gold appliances, leather look formica counter tops with dark wood cabinets. Apricot colored shag carpeting and grass cloth in the living areas. The curtains was orange and white plaid, with white over drapery. One of the bed rooms had plaid orange/harvest gold/ avocado green wall paper. One had that Victorian "fake"  newspaper wallpaper. The master bedroom had vine and floral paper.  The house wasa model, and the sale office for the mid 70's development. All of that is now thankfully gone. My oldest bought her Grandfather's old Craftsmen house. It has been updated but not always aesthetically over the years. That cured me of any more interest in old houses. Our 70's house has a much better open floor plan with vaulted ceilings and lots of windows, and sliding glass patio doors. 

 

I was  a dedicated reader of the Old House Journal for years, which is great for enjoying other people's old house experiences.

 

Just a note about 'lake houses." We bought into a points based time share program over twenty five years ago. There are over thirty five locations in our own program and we can also exchange to go to any other timeshare property. This is the perfect vacation home solution, spacious, well maintained, condos located in scenic locations. With no work to do! Two weeks ago we spent a weekend in Pismo Beach. Today I'm writing this at Clear Lake. We go to Tahoe, and Anaheim, often, but our favorite location is in Depot Bay Oregon, located on a cliff not even a hundred feet from the ocean. Not an inexpensive program, but it is considered real property just as a cabin would. It allows the maximum enjoyment with minimum fuss. We enjoyed it when our kids were little and now that they're older, they will still join us on vacation.  We also get away as a couple frequently. Just a thought for other members. 

 

How soon until this tumbles into the water?

[alsancle]

And another one.  This was actually my all time favorite of every house I've posted.   The best combination of location, style, lot, etc.   The original estate had been subdivided but in a much better way than the Italianate I posted earlier.  I think it still sat on about 4 acres.    Fortunately for me it came on the market after we were settled and not moving again in 2009.   Like the other houses,  cost of entry was not insane (the market was dead), but the restoration costs would be 5x the purchase price.    Sadly, I think the carriage house was torn down when they built the neighborhood.

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by alsancle (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

2 hours ago, Larry Schramm said:

 

True on the octopus, but it looks like it was changed over from coal to gas.

Looks like it would eat anything. 

[Rivguy]

The great thing about a timeshare is that I don't live there. If it goes in the drink I'll just go to another location! It's been there for over twenty years built on a rocky cliff. 

[8E45E]

5 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

Looks like it would eat anything. 

I lived in two older houses with the old gravity-air furnaces.  One advantage was they did not require electricity to operate, as they use a millivolt thermostat, and would still work in the event of a power failure.

 

Craig

Edited January 30, 2022 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

This is the DUNHAM WOODS castle  in Wayne Illinois- Wayne is a horse community in the western suburbs of Chicago  (about 30 miles) that requires a lot size of at least 4 acres, The castle came from France and was rebuilt here. Each brick had a number on them. The Wayne Dupage fox hunt takes off from here on Sundays sometimes. The Farm was called OAKWOOD farm and was the main source for PERCHRONES that pull the army canons in WW1.  In the last 30 years two families have gone broke trying to restore it. The bank has had two short sales and I believe it is for sale now. The slate (excluding labor) for the roof has been said to cost over $100 grand.  Beautiful staircase in it and high ceilings on each floor.  The kitchen had a working microwave in it when we knew the owners and a frige but no other working appliances. The original 60 amp electrical service was not adequate and the plumbing was all updated as the owner owned a plumbing company. 

dave s  

 

T

Edited January 30, 2022 by SC38dls (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

9 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

I lived in two older houses with the old gravity-air furnaces.  One advantage was they did not require electricity to operate, as they use a millivolt thermostat, and would still work in the event of a power failure.

 

Craig

Craig, doesn't gravity air furnaces work on the same principal as those fresh air coolers that houses have in the middle east?

[8E45E]

3 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

Craig, doesn't gravity air furnaces work on the same principal as those fresh air coolers that houses have in the middle east?

I'm not familiar with homes in the Middle East.

 

Very simple in operation as explained here--->  Gravity Furnace Inspection - InterNACHI®

 

The main difference between gravity air and forced air are the location of the diffusers, which are opposite in layout.  The return air gratings are huge and in the floor, and individually ducted back to the furnace (hence the nickname, 'octopus'), and are located along the outside walls of the spaces to be heated, while the warm air diffusers are more central on the main inside wall.

 

Craig

[CHuDWah]

3 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

...It is hard to find an operating Octopus today.

My parents' house had an Octopus that had been converted to gas.  They sold the house but AFAIK, the furnace is still there.  The house is a 4-bedroom, 2-story - dunno size or age but I'd guess at least 3000 sq ft and ~1920.  I wasn't paying the gas bills so I have no clue as to the furnace's efficiency but it always kept the house toasty.

[Bhigdog]

47 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

The Lindel Cedar Homes "Classic Prow" has stood the test of time real well, and still is in their catalog:  Lindal Classic Homes and Classic Home Designs | Build a Classic Home

 

If I were to build a new home from scratch, it is what I will build.

 

Craig

We have enjoyed our house for near 50 years now. It has stood up very well. About 10 years ago I had to replace the cedar shake roof, and 2 years ago I replaced the Pella windows with new Pellas. Other than that just routine stuff. Lindal sounds like a kit home and I'm not sure what a Lindal home costs but ours cost us about $25,000 to build. That was with all Kohler plumbing fixtures, Pella windows, custom kitchen cabinets, tiled baths, hard wood floors, cedar shake roof etc etc etc. I'm guessing it would be a bit more today. The cost to replace the Pella windows  was what the entire house cost to build, and that didn't include some interior sliding doors.

Building our own home while still young has allowed us the luxury of security and made it possible for my wife to be a full time home maker and mother.....Bob

 

[CHuDWah]

20 hours ago, 30DodgePanel said:

My dream house is a shop with living quarters (2 rooms) in the back, but the wife isn't going for it. Not sure why...

 

5 hours ago, George K said:

Perfect formula. 2 bedroom house with 20 bedroom garage.

 

This one's off-market but neat

 

 

The link(https://www.oldhousedreams.com/2019/11/15/1911-garage-in-wiscasset-me/) has pictures of original appearance - looks like it could be restored that way, although probably expensive.

 

 

Edit: Oh crap, the idiot state tore it down to build another damn parking lot! 

 

https://www.wiscassetnewspaper.com/article/wiscasset-s-haggett-s-garage-remembered-sign/138538 

Edited January 30, 2022 by CHuDWah (see edit history)

[JamesR]

I always thought I enjoyed living in old houses until we moved into a newer house built in 1971 (which is still old by some people's standards.)  It's a lot more solid than the creaky old places I'd lived, though it has still needed work and has cost us some money. For a long time I regretted not buying an older house that was on a 400 ft. deep lot and had a detached three car garage out in back, but not anymore. That place would've been so much work.

 

I do, however, love looking at beautiful old houses and really appreciate what they add to a community. They enhance any town they're located in. I just don't want to own one again.

[alsancle]

You guys let me know when I'm boring you.   I keep thinking of them.   This was another one that came on the market for the first time in 100 years right during the housing lull of 2010.    Purchase price was just a down payment as the house had not been touched since it was built.   

 

Note the kick ass carriage house!

 

[3macboys]

7 minutes ago, alsancle said:

You guys let me know when I'm boring you.   I keep thinking of them.   This was another one that came on the market for the first time in 100 years right during the housing lull of 2010.    Purchase price was just a down payment as the house had not been touched since it was built.   

 

Note the kick ass carriage house!

Is that a guest house separate from the main house and carriage house?  I am not telling my wife about the website that started all this - I've enough to repair in my existing house without starting over again!

[SC38dls]

Not as interesting as old cars but great old homes that could store or maybe have an old unknown gem in a garage are always neat too see. Keep them coming as far as my vote goes. I know that it doesn’t count for much but that’s ok I’m satisfied buy it. 
dave s 

[alsancle]

25 minutes ago, 3macboys said:

Is that a guest house separate from the main house and carriage house?  I am not telling my wife about the website that started all this - I've enough to repair in my existing house without starting over again!

 

Three pictures of the house, one of the carriage house.    The house is 10k square feet, but in the one picture I guess it looks "smaller".

 

There is a chapel.  Here it is after restoration.

 

[60FlatTop]

1 hour ago, CHuDWah said:

I wasn't paying the gas bills so I have no clue as to the furnace's efficiency but it always kept the house toasty.

Combustion efficiency is generally about 78% other variations such as AFUE are manipulated numbers. The Octopus will put out 130-140 supply temperature where a high AFUE could discharge air a couple of degrees cooler than body temperature. The goal is long run times.

Heat pumps are efficient at heating from 30 degrees to 60. A 1 1/2 and a 1 ton heat pump strategically placed will handle 60 down to 30 in a medium sized house. The octopus has good efficiency on long heat duration. So shifting from heat pump to octo at 30 degrees gives us the best operation. A tight envelope completes the scheme. I still have most of my pressed glass windows and used wood storm windows for the best thermal break. It's tight. If I had installed a high efficiency furnace I would have saved about 15% when it ran. When I tighten the envelope so the furnace doesn't run I save 100%. Know what you did and why is more important than following recommendations at times.

[CHuDWah]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

Combustion efficiency is generally about 78% other variations such as AFUE are manipulated numbers. The Octopus will put out 130-140 supply temperature where a high AFUE could discharge air a couple of degrees cooler than body temperature. The goal is long run times.

Heat pumps are efficient at heating from 30 degrees to 60. A 1 1/2 and a 1 ton heat pump strategically placed will handle 60 down to 30 in a medium sized house. The octopus has good efficiency on long heat duration. So shifting from heat pump to octo at 30 degrees gives us the best operation. A tight envelope completes the scheme. I still have most of my pressed glass windows and used wood storm windows for the best thermal break. It's tight. If I had installed a high efficiency furnace I would have saved about 15% when it ran. When I tighten the envelope so the furnace doesn't run I save 100%. Know what you did and why is more important than following recommendations at times.

No offense but not being an HVAC guy, that's pretty much Greek.  Anyway, I'm pretty sure my parents' octopus was original to house and the whole system was original except for the gas conversion.  Like I said, it kept a fairly large and not very tight house comfortable in midwestern winters at whatever efficiency/cost.  With two exceptions, houses I've owned have had heat pumps.  They're fine for AC but not so much for heat below freezing.  Fortunately, Florida has only the occasional cold snap like this weekend.

[alsancle]

Here is another one that was for sale in the last 10 years.   Around 10k square feet.  Sits in the "rich" neighborhood of Lowell Mass.   Great house.

 

 

[John Bloom]

I love this stuff. Several components need to come together to make the decision to buy an old mansion. 
 

-you have lots of money in the bank and stable cash flow 

-you plan on staying in the house for a long time. 
-your spouse is totally onboard and as enthusiastic as you are 

-you and your spouse both agree that the house and grounds will be your passion and hobby at the expense of almost everything else. 
 

if you can’t check each of these boxes, you will likely end up heartbroken and bankrupt. 
 

that doesn’t stop me from loving them and the idea. Keep them coming. 

 

[prewarnut]

My friend and I rented out a servant's wing and another friend rented the carriage house in Cleveland Heights when I was in school. Half that town and most of Shaker Heights, OH are mansion after mansion in stone, slate, copper, leaded windows. It's incredible the wealth that was there. Today they can be had for real reasonable prices. I remember the basement. The old coal fired boiler and furnace was too big to remove so it was left in place and some coal was still in the bin. They'd get a delivery up the driveway Circa 1915 and it would be sent down a chute to the basement. An electric screw would feed the furnace. It was a time whe you'd really need a staff to run the place.

[SC38dls]

When I was a kid in the 50’s we had a coal furnace. At night we would shovel in coal and bank it on the sides of the fire bin.  It would keep the house warm all night. In the morning my two older brothers and myself would take turns going down to the basement and refilling the furnace and making sure it fired up ok. Always a cold job. Every house on the block had a coal chute and coal room. 
dave s 

Edited January 31, 2022 by SC38dls (see edit history)

[Harold]

Maybe not as grand as the properties already discussed, but the deal that got away from me in the early '80's was one of several attached brownstone row houses that were walking distance to the State Capital in Albany, NY.  The area was pretty sketchy in those days and the City was selling the houses (and they all needed lots of work) for $1,500.00 each.   A few years later the area became gentrified and the property values soared.  Not to point fingers, but my family talked me out of buying one.  Oh, well...

[alsancle]

This one is on the same side of the street as the stone mansion in Lowell I just posted.    Once side of the street is lined with 10,000 sq ft houses,   the other side has 1000 square foot ranches on 10,000 sq foot lots.

 

https://www.mvmag.net/2020/04/14/faulkner-house/

 

 

[alsancle]

9 hours ago, Harold said:

Maybe not as grand as the properties already discussed, but the deal that got away from me in the early '80's was one of several attached brownstone row houses that were walking distance to the State Capital in Albany, NY.  The area was pretty sketchy in those days and the City was selling the houses (and they all needed lots of work) for $1,500.00 each.   A few years later the area became gentrified and the property values soared.  Not to point fingers, but my family talked me out of buying one.  Oh, well...

 

My dad talked me out of 1/2 a dozen houses in my 20s and a couple of the big ass ones I posted before in my 30s.   He was 100% right every single time.  

 

The gentrification thing was hard to predict,  it lifted up many great old neighborhoods when you would never have expected it.   In the late 70s - early 80s the cities were dying.

[1937hd45]

 

 

Ok, That is the weekend, company is coming over staircase, what did the back staircase look like. 

 

Bob 

[Grimy]

15 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Ok, That is the weekend, company is coming over staircase, what did the back staircase look like.

Oh, you mean the servants' staircase?  🙂

[SC38dls]

In the early 1900 a staircase showed wealth. The width and different cuts on balustrades and corners showed how wealthy you were. Balusters all the same we’re lower on the scale and three different ones were the top of the scale plus the various widths with about 7-8 feet being the top of that scale. Here is the Copley main staircase 3 balusters different corner post and 7 feet wide. The congressman/ newspaper owner was at the top of the scale! Wonder how he got so wealthy. 

dave s 

[SC38dls]

[Steve_Mack_CT]

@CHuDWah, pretty addictive new site you put out there!  Shame on me for not listing Spanish style among my favorites.  We have maybe one for every 25 Tudor styles homes here in CT but they are really cool and of course more prevelant in some other areas.

Great site indeed!

Edited January 31, 2022 by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history)

[John Bloom]

Great old mansions are like a boat. It’s better to have a friend with one, then to have your own.

[alsancle]

2 hours ago, Grimy said:

Oh, you mean the servants' staircase?  🙂

 

Exactly!   Any decent house needed a discrete back stair.

[alsancle]

1 hour ago, John Bloom said:

Great old mansions are like a boat. It’s better to have a friend with one, then to have your own.

 

What are the two best days of mansion ownership?

[CChinn]

Move in day and move out day