Comments: Anna - 2005-01-10 22:52:51 My house was supposedly built in 1930, but the foundation -- at least a section or two of it -- looks much older. A realtor told me once that a lot of the city records were sketchy, destroyed by fire, misfiled, etc., and that whenever they didn't know for sure the age of a house, they put 1930, which was the year they really started to be careful about records. Not sure that's true, but I would have otherwise guessed that at least portions of my bungalow was built around 1910-1920, especially since it's known that a house next door -- which looks very similar in a lot of ways -- was built in 1890. I found a very old paycheck tucked back in the built-in cupboard in the dining room -- it was for an electrical supply company and looked like it was from the 1940s. I've also uncovered some 1930s or 40s era wallpaper that had been painted over but was preserved in places like under the wall sconce. Two owners before me, the guy worked for the park commission and became ill with cancer. They didn't have medical insurance and paid his medical bills instead of the mortgage (mistake... they can't do anything to you if you pay five dollars a month toward the bill... something to keep in mind). The bank forclosed I think just shortly before he died and his wife had to leave. She was so angry that she dug out most of the plants in the yard and took them with her (I don't blame her). The man across the street has lived there since the 1930s. I've been begging him for more information about the people who had lived there and for any pictures he may have, but he's very old and hasn't anted up wtih much except to tell me that during the post-war period a huge Italian family of 8 or 9 lived in the house (that I currently occupy alone avec 80-lb dog). The old Italian grandma slept on the sleeping porch off the kitchen even in the winter, so that she could be close and wake up early to start cooking. I wish I knew the whole story of my house -- from who decided to build it, what it initially looked like, who did what to it (who incorporated the sleeping porch into the kitchen, for example? Brilliant move -- the kitchen is large and very pleasant, and the sleeping porch probably didn't add a whole lot). Yes, it's late, and I'm rambling. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-11 09:45:18 That's all fascinating information. I would have loved to find the paycheck (did you keep it?) and the wallpaper. Just having a sleeping porch sounds lovely. The story about the ill man is very sad. One wonders what happened to his wife--if she was in her 50s or 60s in the 30s or 40s, likely she had an awful tough time getting work after losing her home. It's a bit odd for an entire huge family to just evaporate away like that, instead of one of the kids living on in the house. At any rate, thanks for such an interesting story Anna. * * * * * * * * * * * * yd - 2005-01-11 10:36:22 The former owner of my house died of aids. As my Armenian neighbor (in his thick accent) put it: He dried up like a weed. I have researched at the Ypsi Historical archives and the only thing they had was the first property tax records from 1913. Where a woman named Betsy Farmer paid 12 bucks in property tax. But I did find a photo from 1890 that showed the students of the old high school gardening where there is now a parking lot. My little hovel was there then. I know its really freakin old, thats enough for me now, I don't really want to know how old because when the monster runs around the whole house shakes. Lots of creaks and pops all the time. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-11 10:43:03 That's so cool. I wonder if Betsy Farmer owned her own home which strikes me as maybe a bit unusual back then. I wonder if she is the 1st occupant, and if you're the fourth generation to live in your house (I remember you mentioned the ladies who visited--they must have been living there before the man who died of AIDS). Excuse me if I seem to pry yd--I certainly don't mean to. It's just very interesting to hear these many-layered stories. I love reading them. * * * * * * * * * * * * yd - 2005-01-11 10:47:18 I have heard that dating a house can be done by the construction. The typ of nails. Really old ones were cut from sheet, newer ones formed by machine. The sill plates that run along the foundation are 8x8 white oak. The joists are notched in but were almost pulled out from bulging. I sistered many joists when I moved in and iron braketed the joist so they don't complaetly fall out of place. I find wierd stuff all the time, newspapers in the wall, beads, coins, horseshoes, and yes, clay pipes. Some of the nails I have uncovered are about 6 or 8 inches long and square. Loafer could construct when necessary. * * * * * * * * * * * * yd - 2005-01-11 10:47:22 I have heard that dating a house can be done by the construction. The typ of nails. Really old ones were cut from sheet, newer ones formed by machine. The sill plates that run along the foundation are 8x8 white oak. The joists are notched in but were almost pulled out from bulging. I sistered many joists when I moved in and iron braketed the joist so they don't complaetly fall out of place. I find wierd stuff all the time, newspapers in the wall, beads, coins, horseshoes, and yes, clay pipes. Some of the nails I have uncovered are about 6 or 8 inches long and square. Loafers could construct when necessary. * * * * * * * * * * * * nail dating - 2005-01-11 10:57:20 http://www.mtsu.edu/~histpres/services/naildating.htm * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-11 11:02:42 Wow--that page of nail info is fascinating. It says that the machine-cut tapered nail is still used for cases when its superior holding power is needed, which I hadn't known. But if the round wire nail came in around 1890 and if as you said you have square nails, then perhaps your house is a bit/much older than 1890. It's none of my business--I just find it very interesting. * * * * * * * * * * * * yd - 2005-01-11 11:09:22 There are lots of sites concerning nail dating. It is one of the best ways to determine age. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-11 11:17:19 Check this out--some people actually go nail-hunting and collect these old nails! And know all their names! At the bottom of the page there's info about a "nail show"! I never knew that. Guess it's not too odd, though--I myself have a nail collection, of 1. A spike from the old Ypsi Local line (not the interurban, as previously thought). * * * * * * * * * * * * Anna - 2005-01-11 13:15:16 The sleeping porch on my house would have added more if my back lot was more attractive... I did keep the paycheck and the wallpaper. I'll leave it with the house when I move. My parents used to own an older home in Pittsburgh that had only been owned by a few families (built around 1900). My mom had the original floorplans, the renovation floor plans, the servants schedule and instructions for the first owners, and the original landscaping plan for the back yard. She loved having those things and left them for the next owner. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-11 21:38:10 That's a great housewarming present, and a nice legacy to hand down through the owners. I do wonder what the "instructions for the first owners" were, though--did that have to do with things like home maintenance? I mean, you don't need instructions on how to use a house ("When tired, walk to the bedroom, put on your pjs, and position yourself in the bed"). * * * * * * * * * * * * Anna - 2005-01-11 23:11:45 oh, that was just me being sloppy...the document for the servants included a schedule AND instructions (12:00 Lunch for Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Smith takes her lunch in the library. Door should be answered by ___, if ___ is not available, it should be answered by ___.", etc. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-11 23:41:08 Oh, I see. I guess my servants' instructions would be a lot simpler. ("7 p.m.: Blogging for Ms. B. Ms. B. does her blogging in the laundry-littered office while the dog imparts essence of smelly [yet loveable] dog on the couch in the living room. Ms. B's shower should be prepared at about two hours after she should have properly gone to bed. Don't forget to do the dishes before the shower or else the geriatric hot water heater won't have enough hot water.") * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-11 23:44:28 oops, split verb--can't have those servants picking up my bad habits--I should say, "about two hours after she should have gone to bed." Whatever. They're servants. I don't need to answer to them, for God's sake. * * * * * * * * * * * * lynne - 2005-01-12 07:58:33 If the guy I bought my house from is correct, I am the third owner of my house. It was build in 1925 and was owned by a family named Meyers from that time until around 1995 or so. That is what Tod, the former owner of my house tells me anyways. I do know that Tod bought the house after it had been foreclosed on. He showed me pictures of the house when he bought it and it was in pretty bad shape. He did a lot of work on it and it is pretty nice now. I've updated wiring, put in a new water heater and replaced the roof and all the boards underneath. I've also fenced the yard. So I guess I have improved the place too. * * * * * * * * * * * * raymond - 2005-01-12 10:30:12 Cows moved in, then the structure collapsed, after my family left my ancient ancestral home. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-12 10:37:43 Lynne: Updating the wiring sounds like a big and messy job, since it's twice as troublesome to rewire a prewired house rather than to wire a house being built. Raymond: that is an amazing picture. May I ask, where was this structure located? I would love to hear more about it. * * * * * * * * * * * * raymond - 2005-01-12 10:43:26 About a mile due north of Barton City, Michigan, 20 miles or so inland from Harrisville, circa 1950 when my mother's mother took the picture. In winter, the potbelly stove glowed ruby red while water froze in a bucket across the room. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-12 10:50:17 That's amazing. Sure makes me wish I could sit down with Raymond and a pot of coffee and listen to stories about that house, if I didn't think that would be prying and rude. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-12 11:14:58 Location of Barton City. * * * * * * * * * * * * Felix - 2005-01-17 14:23:52 Have you tried using the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps for info about your house? U. of M. has access to them electronically, and they provide enough information that individual houses can be identified if the map covers the appropriate area. I don't think construction dates are included, but "Fire Insurance Maps in the Library of Congress" indicates that Ypsi was mapped in Nov 1888, June 1893, Nov 1899, Feb 1909, Aug 1916, Feb 1927, and "Feb 1927-July 1950", which may indicate a 1927 map with later pasted-on corrections. If the house appears only on maps after a certain date, it'll give you an approximate idea when it was built. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-01-17 14:29:12 That's a very helpful not to mention interesting suggestion, Felix--thank you, I knew nothing about those maps. * * * * * * * * * * * * add your comment: your name: your email: your url: back to the entry - Diaryland