I have been gradually diving deeper and deeper into not only the history of this house but ordering historcial architectural and design books and researching what plumbing and bathrooms would even entail in 1886.
I have reached out to the Clinton County Historic Society first then Xenia Libray and Waynesville. Xenia was able to help me find a copy of a fictional novel written by Matilda Underwood which I immediately ordered the only copy of off Amazon.
I have yet to find her autobiography but I’m still on the hunt. I found even more at the Waynsville library!
I spent 3 hours copying everyting they had. Since its historical documents it has to remain there. Thank goodness for technology I turned over 100 pages into PDFs in that 3 hours from my phone. The libraian was not only helpful but her and the other librarian mentioned having known one of the descendants of the Underwoods, who built the house! They offered to take my name and information and pass it along to the family if they should want to reach out. I eagrly wrote down my name and number on the tini scrap paper having no clue what would come of it. I’m not sure yet how-to relay the immense history just yet but I’m brainstorming the best way to share it all.
I was really only taking the few hours on a Saturday, that I had kid and husband free while he dropped kids off at grandmas, to go collect ideas. But my first stop at the Habitat Restore altered those plans. $270 later and 2 full truck loads, I’m desperately trying to unload it all by myself in time to not be late for our once in a never time date night. Including an expanding dinning table I had to unload on my own without braking or letting fall out of the truck as I tried to pull it out without it falling before racing home to meet my husband. He likely knows this already, but I could have stayed at Tower House for hours and continued to find things to do and ideas to write down. Or just sit and admire my first haul of stuff. I mean I was only intending to buy things that directly affected plumbing, vanities, sinks etc. Things needed before rough ins could even begin to be set. But come on a free standing washbasin, 4 poster rope bed, mid 20th century expanding dinning table and chairs, THAT ARE ACTUALLY COMFORTABLE TO SIT IN!! Among smaller other items all 50 % off restore prices!!! What can I say? Im just going to justify the premature purchases as a capitalizing on opportunity to stretch my budget and support a local charity.
Side note I have yet to figure out how to expand the dining room table but I have really only giving it a few minutes. However the fact its stuck closed probably helped persevere it and allow me to unload it on m own safely.
I have never loved antique shopping. I mean I hold a deep appreciation for the craftsmanship and quality of things made before the digital era. But I’ve never had a project were incorporating an older style was necessary or beneficial. However, I do love a challenge that pushes me outside my skill set and comfort zone. Forcing me to learn and try something new.
I spent the first month of owning the house planning and thinking and creating ideas and making a plan of attack. Figuring out how to organize all my ideas and keep straight all the history and information I kept collecting. I learned the hard way, while building my house and working on other projects, that people can’t read my mind and I’m not the most highly skilled at clearly communicating my desired outcome on projects. So this time I think I may have lots of pictures and just grunt and point.
As the vision began to materialize in my head I realized the need to search for elements from the past to incorporate into the design. Mostly first I needed the things that would be influence plumbing rough ins. To ensure rough ins were measured correctly and layouts and measurements actually would work the way I saw it in may head.
During my first week of facebook and online searching I was ecstatic to meet three local people who collect antiques or shop estate sales or refinished distressed pieces. Of course they all knew exactly which house I was working on and more than excited to hear about the project.
I even seemed to have become instant beasties with a local store owner of The Yellow Heart https://www.facebook.com/theyellowheartllc/ We just hit it off. Maybe it was the excitement of finding someone we could spit ideas and pictures with constantly and never get tired of it. It’s only been a few weeks since I met her but we’ve exchanged more text with pictures and ideas to rival some of my life long friends.
I also met a gentleman who lives around the corner from me who refinish old furniture and other unique items that have been a victim of time.
One of my many ideas is to incorporate a late 1800s wood stove in the house similar to what may have originally been there. As I was loading up the item I purchased from him after chatting for a bit about my project. He pointed to a large item under a tarp. The curiosity was too strong I asked if I could peek.
Oh My Goodness!! What this will look like when is cleaned up!!!
ohhhh my poor brain is reeling with ideas..
I still don’t know exactly how I will do the stove in this house. It feels like one of the biggest decisions beyond the bathrooms. Think about it. Throughout human history; family, friends, daily discussions or major celebrations and announcement so often revolve around the kitchen. Cooking the next meal or preparing a holiday feast together has the potential to create memories and connections that last beyond the meal, place, and time.
It really is quite humbling to own this house. I think its because not only is it well known but it has peaked the interest of many over the years. Every time I meet a new contractor out there or friend to show them around they are just in awe. Most times they ask if I mind if they take pictures to show to their friend, co worker, etc. The appreciation for the craftsmanship of this house is just remarkable.
Then there are the occasions when acquaintances realize its me who bought the place. Everyone around town saw it go up for sale. (well everyone except me it seems). And everyone saw it go fast. I walked in to pick up my son from getting his hair cut to, “your son just told me what house you just bought!!” or, the txt, “I just heard from so and so that you are the one that bought the yellow house with the tower! Is that true?” Maybe its a biased sampling because the people I associate with all have similar interests or we have done projects together in the past but it does kind of feel like I’m the cool kid on the block. This coming from the shy girl who just tried to pass under the radar in high school had a total of 2 friends and didn’t come into her own until mid 30s. Oh well, maybe this house is going to help me just as much as I hope to help it.
I mentioned in an earlier post how much it will pain me to rip up the current floors but I had every intention to use them in the rooms that had ugly tile or hap-hazerdly laid sub floor that was falling apart. However, as I was measuring, for some other reason, I was down in the corner of one of the largest rooms looking at trim, when I noticed something peering out from under what I though was subfloor. I ran to grab my crow bar, like a crazy person. My husband, who happened to be on site at that time just stood and stared completely confused about what was so exciting to prompt running through the house with a crow bar. I guess you could consider him crazy too, or just immune to his wife exstatically running around with a crow bar. But he just stood there perplexed yet unconcered. Never the less, I pull up the rotted sub floor in, with much greater ease than I expected, and there it is looking up at me what I believe to be the original floor!! Its under there !!
My sweet husband did not share my enthusiasm.
Maybe this is a good time to dive a bit deeper into our dynamics and indiviudal strengths and weaknesses. He is not a visual persons. He communicates well and is the social half. He’s they guy that everyone is friends with. He has been the Best Man at more weddings than any lifetime movie. And although he will humbly call himself an ass hole and is genuinely perplexed way so many friends have asked this of him, he really is the kind of friend that you can depend on. He doesn’t judge, he accepts you for who you are and will give you the shirt off his back without even thinking about how the sacrifice will effect him. But visualizing a concept or idea, even when if it’s drawn out in as much detail as a C.A.D. drawing, is not a talent he posses. I on the other hand prefer my family and close friends to any social environment. I do not like being in front of people and I am not a great communicator. But I can create and visualize a concept. We laugh because its become a running joke that, while I was designing our own kitchen I brought him ideas and hand sketches and even a professional digital rendering, down to the details of the door fronts and hardware, of what our kitchen would look like. But the day the kitchen was complete we stood there together admiring how great it turned out and he turns to me, “Did you know it was going to look like this?!!?!?” You can just imagin my perplexed, sideways glance as if he must be joking. But there he was looking right back at me deadpan serious with that question. I SHOWED HIM A FREAKIN DRAWING!! How could he not have known, but he honestly has other talents and that is not one. I didn’t realize until that point that he couldn’t read my mind. Just kidding, but I do wish he could. He also later confessed to having no clue where our bedroom was going to be either. Even though I walked him room by room through the house during framing, and drywall. God love him. Back to floor. I have not gotten under the tile in the bathrooms yet but if I was a betting person I think it just may be under there as well, not sure Ill keep wood floor in a bathroom anyway but still fun to uncover more history the as I gradually explore this place. I guess time will tell. The goal is to have all my plans, ideas and layouts pretty solid before any demo starts but every time I think I have a direction figured out a new idea comes up or I discover something else. Have I mentioned the family memoirs about Matilda add this house? Well from what I have read, constructing took longer than planned because Matilda kept getting new ideas. Lordy I love this lady and her house more and more every day.
Tower House Ohio 