1939 House

I bought a second house in 2021, for a few reasons, but the ultimate reason to maintain two houses about 50 miles apart became because of the climatic impacts of global warning. I live in an area where there are strong winds, thunderstorms and tornadoes which are ever increasing in severity as the effects of global warming continue to evolve in severity. Therefore, I will have a dwelling, even if one becomes uninhabitable, barring some geographically wide disaster. Think New Madrid Earthquake Part 2. The houses are close enough together that I can easily travel between them.

This house was built in 1939 with exceptional craftsmanship. It still has the original lathe and plaster walls and ceilings. It is an 1800 square foot, three bedroom, 1 1/2 bathroom house with a full, dry basement with a seven foot ceiling. The ceilings on the first floor are 8 1/2 feet high except for the family room, where it is 8 feet. For many years there was an apartment in the basement but that was completely removed so that the basement space is now one large room, except for a 10' x 9' foot partitioned space that may have been a tool/hobby area. The attic was converted to two bedrooms, a sitting/office area and a half bath, probably in the 1950s. All of the original, cast iron enameled sinks and tub remain, along with many original architectural features. I have put a rudimentary apartment in the basement hobby room so I can live there in the hot summer months.

In the early 2000s, the house was updated with new electrical service, double pane windows, including the French doors opening on the back yard, landscaping and a large, walk-in storage shed. Unfortunately (?), the front and side doors were replaced with modern steel doors with double pane windows. New furnace and air conditioning, roof and siding in 2012. It is a very comfortable house with nearly 100 year old style and quality but with modern conveniences.

Living room

I use this space as my exercise room but also have a twin day bed and sometimes sleep there. The previous owner refinished the oak hardwood floors with extend throughout the first floor, but stained them very dark against the advice of various people, disliked the result, so put all new carpet in most of the rooms. I really like the arched doorways which are on the first floor.

Dining room and kitchen

All of the kitchen cabinets are original to the house, dating to 1939. All of the trim on the first floor is original except in the family room.

View of living room and kitchen from dining room.

The half door is the stairway to the upstairs bedrooms. This is a nice view of three of the four arched doorways on the first floor.

Family Room images

This room was originally a bedroom, but was converted to a family room. There is a large, retractable awning on the outside of the French doors, which can be seen through the windows on the doors. The awning is a life saver in the summer as it greatly reduces the temperature on the first floor. I spend a lot of time in the family room and have replaced these chairs with three rockers, two padded and one pine. I am a rock-a-holic and have numerous rockers in both houses. The lot the house sits on is only 40' wide but is 120' deep so the back yard is quite large. The utility shed and partial view of the back yard are visible through the French doors.

Some images of the downstairs bedroom

The house was built as a two bedroom house with a walk up attic. Another, perhaps 1950s alteration, turned one bedroom into the family room at the same time the attic was converted into living space. I've never had ceiling fans in a house and this house has several and I am now as "fan" of ceiling fans. I do not use the upstairs bedrooms much, but do have a bed and TV in one of them and occasionally sleep up there. I will get some pictures of the upstairs, by and by. I keep the majority of my large Japanese metalwork collection and some selected Bohemian and Japanese art glass up there.

The large tree painting over the head of the bed is by Wray Manning, who among other accomplishments, illustrated a release of Mill on the Floss by George Elliott. To the left of the Manning painting is a ballerina by Boston artist Jan Gendron and to the right a shorescape by New York artist Walter Lynn Mosley.

The naive mountain scene on the wall to the left of the bed is by my distant cousin, Viva McIntire Tiffin, Bloomington, IL artist.

To the right of the TV are paintings by Jeff Little of Bloomington, IL, Swedish artist Johan Hilding, California artist Kay Bonanno, Finnish American artist Harry Linder and Michgan artist Milton Kemnitz.

Left of the mirror "Ginger cat" by UK artist John Payne, folded paper art by artist unknown, Japanese wood carving of the god Daikoku by unknown Japanese artist. The large, rectangular glass sculpture under the mirror, is by Springfield, IL glass artist, George Martin, Right of the mirror, Sleeping Cat by California artist Serena Potter, ballerina by California artist Lisa Mistiuk.

Left of the TV are paintings by Kay Bonanno and Chicago/California artist Walter Marshall Clute, attributed.