Not Sure Who is Writing this Story

Sometimes in life you write the story, but other times the story has already been written and you’re just one of the characters. 

    To most people in this area, the Tower House, or Orchard House,  as she has also been know by, has demanded attention and admiration for over a century.  Sitting back just far enough from the road to spark the curiosity and admiration of some and completely missed by others. Yet anyone who appreciates architecture, construction, design, history or real estate has taken notice.  I’m no different from the millions who have admired it over the last 134 years.  I’m just humbled and grateful that I get to be one of the people who gets to be part of her story.

The cat and the bicycle doesn’t help debunk the rumors of this house being haunted.

    I have learned since acquiring the property that there are categories of renovators, which in the past I have remained in the typical category of simply a flipper.  I have enjoyed renovating a handful of older homes and building my own in 2016. But that is completely different from restoring a piece of history.  I will confess, I never knew much more about this house except how neat it looked and, like everyone else, I just wanted to see inside.   I also know little of historical side of things. I have always dreamt about this property but I never told anyone. I was fully aware how massive an undertaking it would be, not to mention unlikely I would ever have the means resources or skills to do so. But thats exactly why I never spoke these things out. Not only was it so unlikely to ever happen but I knew the notion had crossed the minds of a multitude of others like me who are way more qualified to take on such a project.  Additionally having the means… to match the ambitions…  at the right time…was an even more unlikely sequence of events. The tiny glimmer of hope stayed in the depths of my mind for years, yearning that maybe someday, the stars would align.

In 2009 this house went up for auction right when I was just starting my family.  Pregnant with our first son, deciding to quit my job and be a stay at home mom while simultaneously tying to support my husband’s early career and his ambitious goals left little time for anything else.  To be honest, doing anything was beyond that was not within my capabilities as a new mother. Three kids and four years later was the first realistic opportunity I had to start investing  and renovating real estate.  From the first project I was hooked.  I love walking into a space and figuring out the impossible or creating the unthought of.  Adding bathrooms, moving walls opening up doorways making a space flow and feel comfortable to be in. 

    September of 2021 my husband and I were driving past the Tower House and just for small talk I decided to share, “you know” I said, “I have always wanted to be apart of that house’s restoration. If it ever goes on the market I’m going to get it” His reply was, “ok”.  I assumed at the time, and since confirmed, that tidbit I shared was only partially processed in his mind, Im not even sure he even knew what house I was talking about.  He acknowledged his support, like he always has.  He has never been anything other than supportive about my crazy ideas, and then life went on.  Three weeks later, it’s on the market, and NO my husband, who drives past it every day to and from work, was not the one to inform me.

Original barn and carriage house

The barn as since fallen. The clock is ticking to save the carriage house.

To be clear, I was not actively or even passively looking for a project. In 2018 I decided to put all projects aside.  I walked away from some exciting opportunities in order to go back to focusing on my kids and homeschooling.  I love working, but when I do I tend to hyper focus on projects until the job is done to the exclusion of sometimes even basic needs. But I love my kids more and I was missing too much.  Universal Mom dilemma right? But that’s for a different post. Anyway, less than three weeks after voicing my desires out loud I was meeting a good friend, halfway between here and her home in Kentucky. During small talk, discussing if she would ever move back to Wilmington, she mentions this house she would love to live in.  I was way more interested in even the slightest chance of her moving back, but as she’s telling me about the house, as we sate on a bench watching the kids, my head turned abruptly when realized exactly which house she was talking about. I immediately text my realtor (after making sure my friend did not truly have realistic plans to move back to town).  I would have much rather her back locally, living in this home than buying it myself.  But if that can’t happen this is the next best thing. 

    Short story shorter, it was on the market for six days and I bid against one other investor.  This started a trend of breaking all my investing rules.

Rule 1. I never compete for properties. I live in a rural midwest county. There is no need to compete for a property. There just isn’t that many people or demands and values are just not typically that high, pre covid of course. 

2. Never want a property too much or be emotionally attached to a purchase potential.  My realtor has been with me for years. She saw this and played devisl advocate well with me not hiding any of her reserve and hesitancy to offer on this house, she has always had my back.  She saw I was an incy wincy bit more attached then I’d like to admit. After seeing the house and discussing further she masterfully negotiated a perfect competing offer on the house.

  I also broke another rule during the purchase offer stage.

Rule 3. Do your research. I hold high standards for my potential projects, I  run numbers, inspect and calculate returns and create plan A, B, C and worst case scenario.  I did none of that with this one, other than a quick glance on the auditors site and my own visual inspection during showing, which was piss poor because I was too enamored by the house itself.  I was way more inthralled with her architecture and distinctive qualities to care what the numbers came back with. For those that know me that is uncharacteristic. I am methodical and NOT spontaneous. I take calculated risks not careless ones.

Rule 4. Inspections. Either by my myself, a licensed inspector in my early days, or a second set of trusted eyes. I confirmed none of the major mechanical functions like I typically would; septic, water supply, HVAC, water heater, utilitie expenses, NOTHING!! Not even if there was running water, which turns out there is not. 

I didn’t even read all the paperwork that came with the listing.  It was a huge packet of information way more than a typical listing.  I knew there was some history in there but honestly I didn’t have time to sort through it all.  With getting an offer prepared and my funds in order in less than 48 hrs all I did was glance at the disclosure, to humor my realtor. I chuckled when disclosures were even offered.  I mean, the house is over 100 years old.  I honestly would have been more shocked if every single disclosure item wasn’t checked.  

 After closing I asked the seller if they would walk through the property with me and tell me all about what they had done, found, fixed etc. over the thirteen years they had it.  I would have asked sooner but no good selling agent would allow their client to do this before closing so I waited patiently to make this request.   We spent the rest of the afternoon going through every detail of the house.   He had so much passion for it and was so eager and excited to share everything he could as he passed the torch to me.  As we were about to depart,  much later then planned, he asked me if I had known all that he had shared would I still have bought the house.  My answer, with out the slightest hesitation was YEP SURE WOULD!! I hope that helped him feel good about his decision to sell, It shocked me how confident I was still feeling about the purchase. Again over 100 years old and not really in awful decline. My mother commented at one point that the basement stairs looked crooked. I snapped back defending the house as if I built it myself, “you’d be crooked to if you were still standing after 100 years.”

 Now just to clearify a tad.  I wasn’t completely aloof on this purchase although more aloof than typical. I ran a quick rough budget to include replacing all major mechanicals assuming a few would be functional and the rest of the budget could go to finishes. I also suspected, but didn’t confirm until after the sale, its designation on the national historic registry. I knew there was some information about the first owners but not to what extent and I assumed there was some influence in local history.  Yet again assumed it would be left at that. An assumption or suspicion of facts never to be confirmed or disproved with snippets here and there but surely it was too old to confirm much more.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  It will take months to organize what I have gathered so far and even longer to try to tell her story with accuracy and integrity.

    As I finally sat down to do my research on this house, realizing there was more research to be done than just the construction side but an entire historical treasure trove of information to sort though as well. Typically I go in redesign fix up replace etc. and get it back on the market for its new home owners to start making their memories. But this house is so much different. She started to tell me her story in details in a way I would struggle to just explain to you about what I eat for breakfast.  I have found Information about the first owners who designed and built it and their reasons and motivation.  Their personal struggles, and triumphs, who even a century later many of us could relate to.  How advanced  the house was for its time and how progressive the values the family held and accomplishments of its members.  I’ll share all those details and history at some point. I’m still collecting and trying to keep it all straight.  Yet as my research kept leading farther and farther I realized quickly this was not going to be just a renovation.  I was going to have to learn about historical homes, their construction and preservation techniques, trends and styles of each period, when plumbing and electricity became standard and the different functions it serviced and progression in methods.  Ok so I didn’t have to, but something inside pulled me in this direction, not only for the sake of the house, but part of me wanted to challenge myself to learn a new area of the industry I love. And even more of the challenge was going to be how to tell her story within the design and restoration process  Spoiler alert, this house HAD indoor plumbing in 1886!!! However if you read the captions in the photos you already caught that.

    So if I build up the nerve to push the ‘post’ button on this and commit to share this journey of her restoration, I do so knowing it’s not just the story of the physical restoration I have to represent well. 

I can’t begin to express how honored I feel and blessed to have this opportunity.  I get butterflies every time I pass by, drive up the driveway or walk around the property in complete disbelief that my name is on the title.  I’m in complete awe that she chose me when there are countless others more qualified, skilled and talented than myself. Fortunately I know quite a few of just such people, and I fully intend to lean on them and their talents through this journey. But just maybe, as I continue reading and understand her beginnings, she chose me because of a deeper connection no one could have foreseen.  YEP cliff hanger right there. A few things have come up in my research so far that caused an audible “holly shit!” To come out of my mouth.

    So I make this promise to myself more than anyone else. I will do my absolute best to blend the unique historical integrity and design intents of her original owners with the modern comforts and standards expected in 22nd century homes.  And the only person I can confidently know will approve is me.  I learned long ago I can’t please everyone and trying too please others leads nowhere but heartache.  So I am stepping out in faith and sharing this publicly because so many love this house and it would be selfish and a disservice not to share the legacy and influence of this house and her family, with all who have admired from a distance over the last century. I have had quite a few people ask if I would share the progress.  So as much as I HATE social media and being out there for the world to see and judge here we go.  I do not intend to win any literary awards. English was never a subject I excelled in. Math, geometry, and algebra I could do in my sleep, but I can’t tell you the ” I before e” rule or where to place a comma.  My brain runs 365 miles a minute, could be the ADD, so typos and spelling errors are my calling card. God bless my friends and family who have learned to read and interpret “Jessica”.  My husband always tells me I’m a great writer.  I know he is biased, I could write, “fart diddly scoop”  and he would think its Nobel Prize worthy. But it is because of his unwavering belief in me, his encouragement even when I doubt and his unmatched ability to keep looking forward even when the world is burning down around us, that I will pull my strength and courage from during the daunting project ahead of me. Not only as I navigate new waters of historical restoration but documenting it on social media. I hope if you choose to follow you will judge on substance, design and execution and not editorial expertise.