oldhouseman
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- 838
1955 house perfectly preserved
- Thread starter oldhouseman
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blackstone
Well-known member
What? No Heywood-Wakefield?
whirlaway
New member
Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fabuuuuuulous.I wonder if thats a Flash-o-matic Zenith TV
Fabuuuuuulous.I wonder if thats a Flash-o-matic Zenith TV
Does anyone find this hard to believe.....
Why would anyone decorate the upper level and put a tv in the living room if they were not going to use that level of the house? Why also would the repalce the toilet in the bathroom (it does not have a chrome handle but a cheap plastic modern one) and why would they replace the fridge and the stove if the were barely ever used ecspecially since they are portraying this as a time capsule house?? It just does not make any since to me...but I hope who ever buys it buys the furnishings too and cherishes it and keeps it like it is...PAT COFFEY
Why would anyone decorate the upper level and put a tv in the living room if they were not going to use that level of the house? Why also would the repalce the toilet in the bathroom (it does not have a chrome handle but a cheap plastic modern one) and why would they replace the fridge and the stove if the were barely ever used ecspecially since they are portraying this as a time capsule house?? It just does not make any since to me...but I hope who ever buys it buys the furnishings too and cherishes it and keeps it like it is...PAT COFFEY
I'm also slightly suspicious... note the new handheld shower
polkanut
Well-known member
There are many things not quite right with that house that make me doubt it's authentic 1950's. The stove, handheld shower, and toilet are just some of the things that jump out at me.
statenislandgwm
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- Dec 7, 2008
- Messages
- 199
Look even closer...
In the living room there is a curio cabinet which looks 70s to me. In the kitchen there is a modern toaster oven and a trash can with a plastic liner in it which suggest that the kitchen is used, also if you look at picture 5 you can see a ceiling fan thru the kitchen doorway which actually you can see clearly in picture 24 along with a dimmer switch to the left of the window. The wall tiles in the kitchen also look new, if they were original most likely they would have been colored with a different color border.
In the living room there is a curio cabinet which looks 70s to me. In the kitchen there is a modern toaster oven and a trash can with a plastic liner in it which suggest that the kitchen is used, also if you look at picture 5 you can see a ceiling fan thru the kitchen doorway which actually you can see clearly in picture 24 along with a dimmer switch to the left of the window. The wall tiles in the kitchen also look new, if they were original most likely they would have been colored with a different color border.
statenislandgwm
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- Dec 7, 2008
- Messages
- 199
Also....
In one pic of the kitchen there is only the large canister on the counter yet in another pic all 4 are there...looks staged to me.
In one pic of the kitchen there is only the large canister on the counter yet in another pic all 4 are there...looks staged to me.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Actually Pretty Nice:
While there are some changes from original, that house is remarkably intact for one of that period. The late '60s and early '70s were very rough on those houses - a lot of people suddenly decided they just had to have Mediterranean furniture, orange (or avocado) shag carpet, dark wood panelling, vinyl kitchen flooring that looked (sort of) like brown-and-orange Spanish tile, and lots of ornate lamps hanging from chains. In my work, I've seen quite a few house owners spend very good money to get this 1950s look back into a vintage house.
What I find intriguing is the references to the previous owners living mostly on what the Realtor refers to as the "lower level." That's a basement, and if the family lived down there to spare wear and tear on the rest of the house, all I can say is that they took "house-proud" to an extreme I've never seen before.
Very interesting survival. My main reservation would be the replacement siding. There are also modern storm windows, but that's not something I hold against a house, because energy efficiency is a necessity today, and storm windows, unlike those horrid vinyl "replacement" windows, are reversible; you can remove storm windows without having done much damage to the vintage prime windows. Just a few screw holes.
While there are some changes from original, that house is remarkably intact for one of that period. The late '60s and early '70s were very rough on those houses - a lot of people suddenly decided they just had to have Mediterranean furniture, orange (or avocado) shag carpet, dark wood panelling, vinyl kitchen flooring that looked (sort of) like brown-and-orange Spanish tile, and lots of ornate lamps hanging from chains. In my work, I've seen quite a few house owners spend very good money to get this 1950s look back into a vintage house.
What I find intriguing is the references to the previous owners living mostly on what the Realtor refers to as the "lower level." That's a basement, and if the family lived down there to spare wear and tear on the rest of the house, all I can say is that they took "house-proud" to an extreme I've never seen before.
Very interesting survival. My main reservation would be the replacement siding. There are also modern storm windows, but that's not something I hold against a house, because energy efficiency is a necessity today, and storm windows, unlike those horrid vinyl "replacement" windows, are reversible; you can remove storm windows without having done much damage to the vintage prime windows. Just a few screw holes.
Another thing is that the wooden kitchen chairs don't match the 50's chrome kitchen table which is odd. And besides who would live down there in an unfinished basement.
Well, at least they didn't stuff 800 cats in the place.
Fabulous. Getting rarer for sure.
Yeah, this is in remarkable condition for it's age. Plumbing goes bad, toilets and faucets get replaced when owners either can no longer do the job and hire a plumber that will make replacement more cost effective than restoration of an old unit. The kitchen is amazing and those cabinets and Magic Chef range are real treasures. Everything has been kept meticulously clean through the years. Notice where the dryer vent elbows into the machine - it would have been an oldie for sure. Certainly staged to some degree for sale, it's still a neat find.
As a kid, I knew several families of friends that built a beautiful new home - and lived in the basement. They brought their old range and refrigerator with them to the new house and installed them in the basement. Their old, comfortable furniture was down there and that was where everyone gathered. The house my parents bought in 1986 was incredibly well maintained from 1962 - with a 70's basement remodel that was "stunning" to say the least. I should dig out some pictures, that was a beautiful home in near-original condition until we set it on fire the second day. The family had obviously spent much of their time downstairs. Wide open, large rooms were probably attractive for even small families and particularly inviting when entertaining larger groups.
Yeah, this is in remarkable condition for it's age. Plumbing goes bad, toilets and faucets get replaced when owners either can no longer do the job and hire a plumber that will make replacement more cost effective than restoration of an old unit. The kitchen is amazing and those cabinets and Magic Chef range are real treasures. Everything has been kept meticulously clean through the years. Notice where the dryer vent elbows into the machine - it would have been an oldie for sure. Certainly staged to some degree for sale, it's still a neat find.
As a kid, I knew several families of friends that built a beautiful new home - and lived in the basement. They brought their old range and refrigerator with them to the new house and installed them in the basement. Their old, comfortable furniture was down there and that was where everyone gathered. The house my parents bought in 1986 was incredibly well maintained from 1962 - with a 70's basement remodel that was "stunning" to say the least. I should dig out some pictures, that was a beautiful home in near-original condition until we set it on fire the second day. The family had obviously spent much of their time downstairs. Wide open, large rooms were probably attractive for even small families and particularly inviting when entertaining larger groups.
spankomatic
Well-known member
Cool house! It reminds me of what it would have been like to go through a "model" home for this housing development back in 1955. I wonder if it has a 1955 Cadillac in the garage???
Jim
Jim
JerseyMike
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- Sep 7, 2004
- Messages
- 540
Nice, very nice!
I had friends who had an awesome six room (seven if you counted the sun room) two bath home that was under used to put it mildly. We met in kindergarten and I spent a lot of time in their house while we were growing up. (The father died when I was in college. The mother died shortly after we graduated and the house was sold to settle the estate.) I was only allowed upstairs a handful of times. I couldn't help but notice thattThey spared no expense when it came to decorating their house. (Their couch was covered in plastic. I don't think that anyone ever sat on it.) I would just about anything to have the hand panted chandelier that was in their dining room.
The bedrooms and one of the two bathrooms were the only rooms that they ever used. They ate breakfast in their kitchen. I only saw them use their dining room once (for a surprise 60th birthday party, which really threw off the guest of honor -- he had never been allowed upstairs before.) I never saw them use their living room. Ditto the sunroom.
They spent just about every waking moment in their basement. They had a kitchen downstairs. The rest of the basement was unfinished. Their TV was in the basement. Their stereo was in the basement. Their Christmas tree was in the basement. They served holiday meals in the basement. (Their 1952 Frigidaire washer -- the one that I mention in their profile -- was in the basement, so I got to see in action quite frequently. I often wonder what happened to it.)
They were really great people. I have nothing but fond memories of both them and their house. We eventually drifted apart and I often wonder how they are doing. (They were a brother and a sister. I was friends with the brother.) The father didn't speak English very well. I can still remember their mother's very charming accent. They were very generous people. They would have given the shirts right off their backs and never asked anything in return.
They had two fig trees. (I remember helping to cover them for the winter. We always seemed to do that on the coldest day of the year.) They had a huge vegetable garden. (They had a double lot. A house was built where their vegetable garden used to be.) I also remember helping put up (and take down) their outdoor Christmas lights. Ah memories.
I suspect that the family that lived in this particular house was a lot like my friends's family.
My parents (who are in their 80's) could use a hand held shower. I wonder if this one was installed because the elderly owner could no longer manage getting into the tub.
Mike
I had friends who had an awesome six room (seven if you counted the sun room) two bath home that was under used to put it mildly. We met in kindergarten and I spent a lot of time in their house while we were growing up. (The father died when I was in college. The mother died shortly after we graduated and the house was sold to settle the estate.) I was only allowed upstairs a handful of times. I couldn't help but notice thattThey spared no expense when it came to decorating their house. (Their couch was covered in plastic. I don't think that anyone ever sat on it.) I would just about anything to have the hand panted chandelier that was in their dining room.
The bedrooms and one of the two bathrooms were the only rooms that they ever used. They ate breakfast in their kitchen. I only saw them use their dining room once (for a surprise 60th birthday party, which really threw off the guest of honor -- he had never been allowed upstairs before.) I never saw them use their living room. Ditto the sunroom.
They spent just about every waking moment in their basement. They had a kitchen downstairs. The rest of the basement was unfinished. Their TV was in the basement. Their stereo was in the basement. Their Christmas tree was in the basement. They served holiday meals in the basement. (Their 1952 Frigidaire washer -- the one that I mention in their profile -- was in the basement, so I got to see in action quite frequently. I often wonder what happened to it.)
They were really great people. I have nothing but fond memories of both them and their house. We eventually drifted apart and I often wonder how they are doing. (They were a brother and a sister. I was friends with the brother.) The father didn't speak English very well. I can still remember their mother's very charming accent. They were very generous people. They would have given the shirts right off their backs and never asked anything in return.
They had two fig trees. (I remember helping to cover them for the winter. We always seemed to do that on the coldest day of the year.) They had a huge vegetable garden. (They had a double lot. A house was built where their vegetable garden used to be.) I also remember helping put up (and take down) their outdoor Christmas lights. Ah memories.
I suspect that the family that lived in this particular house was a lot like my friends's family.
My parents (who are in their 80's) could use a hand held shower. I wonder if this one was installed because the elderly owner could no longer manage getting into the tub.
Mike
whirlcool
Well-known member
I had an aunt that had a home in Chicago whose exterior was the same as this one. The floorplan was different however,
I think this is an extreme renovation. Everything is just too clean. If it just wasn't used, I think everything would have a film over it.
I think this is an extreme renovation. Everything is just too clean. If it just wasn't used, I think everything would have a film over it.
More importantly......
In the description it says the lower level is where the occupants lived but it is nothing but an unfinished basement........and where was the kitchenette that is said to be down there?...PAT COFFEY
In the description it says the lower level is where the occupants lived but it is nothing but an unfinished basement........and where was the kitchenette that is said to be down there?...PAT COFFEY
pturo
New member
Just amazing! The ceramic walls in the kitchen give me ideas!
We always had finished basements in the houses we lived in. Dad finished them in those awful fake wood panelboards with the fiberglas suspended ceilings etc and we all spent a good deal of time down there but we didn't live there. Well I did eventually having a bedroom. Moms current house they moved into 30 years ago has a nice 50's finished basement with a full kitchen. The original owners/builders were Polish or Ukraine or something, they (poles/ukraines) always had basement summer kitchens to escape the heat of boiling cabbage all day long LOL before the widespread use of central air.
