We never knew you guys were so curious about our house’s original owners until we started receiving quite a few emails and comments asking if we’ve ever heard from them. Of course we were also curious as well. Did they know their old house is up on the internet for all to see? How much of the house had been changed over their decades of home-ownership that we don’t even know about? Do they think we’re crazy for painting their old brick and paneling? So many question, so little time! Well guess what? A few short weeks ago we heard from them! The original owners who lived here for almost forty five years contacted us after coming across our blog through a friend. Oh the tales they told. The most amazing thing is that almost two years ago we posted about a few quirky vintage items that we found under our old cabinets when we redid our kitchen:
Well, the bottom piece of paper is none other than a childhood drawing made by the woman who contacted us from back when she was five years old! Amazing. Of course now she’s grown and married so we’re super excited that she took the time to drop us a line to fill us in on our beloved home’s unbelievable history. Here’s her first letter:
Hey youngsters! That’s the house I grew up in! My mother lived there from the mid 50’s when it was built until 2000 and sold it to come and live with my family. I love the things you have done with it, it is so much brighter and younger! That old dining room next to the kitchen was my bedroom at one time. I hope you are very happy in your new home. -Lisa
We had a feeling the room that we inherited as a dining room was once a third bedroom so it was amazing to hear Lisa confirm our suspicions (it somehow made us even happier that we turned it back into a third bedroom when we remodeled the kitchen early last year). It was just so surreal to be talking to someone who grew up in our house in the 50s and 60s! We also heard there had been a tennis court out back at one time so that was just one of the things we asked in hopes of getting to the bottom of Casa Petersik’s roots. Here’s Lisa’s second letter in response to our barrage of questions:
My parents moved from 29th Street in Richmond City when they had me. I was their second child. I had a brother who was three years older than me. They bought your house when I was born in 1957 for $13,000 dollars. All of the ranchers in that neighborhood had a carport on the end of the house. My father enclosed the carport and did all of the brickwork himself to create the room that you now call the den.
And yes, my mother actually picked that ugly green toilet you inherited in the half bathroom!
My father believes he was one of the original DIY-ers. The basement/sunroom was his most massive DIY project. My father would take me and my brother down to Canal Street every morning one summer and there we would pick up a day laborer. My father and his helper would dig with shovels everyday and we would drop them off at Southside Plaza in the afternoon. I remember being frightened by the men who would crowd around to be the first to be picked to come home with us each day. They dug that entire basement with shovels. He did all of the block work himself as well as the sunroom above it. It originally had screens all around it (it was much later that they bought some closeout patio doors and enclosed it all).
I think my mother misses that sunroom the most. Here are photos of my parents, Floyd and Mary with my brother, Bruce and me, Lisa. These are all taken around 1960.
The Christmas photo above is taken in what is now your dining area. The window behind the tree looked out onto the screened porch which was later bricked in to form the den (so there is no longer a window there and you have hung your white shelves on that wall).
Here is a photo of me and my brother in front of the living room fireplace…
that you have lightened up with paint…
And we actually did have a clay tennis court in the back between the house and the woods! It didn’t last long though as my brother and I didn’t have a true passion for tennis. My mother turned that whole area into her “park” afterwards. The garage has always touched me in a sad way. My father had that built around 1980, he had always wanted a garage. About the time it was finished, he became ill with a disease that would eventually take his life. I always wished he could have retired and enjoyed that garage. I actually loved the den with the fireplace the most. Although I really like the way you have transformed it with paint, I have to say that it was so cozy and comfortable in the winter when the fireplace was burning and it was snowing outside. And on the subject of snow, if you ever get any your street is the absolute best sledding hill around.– Lisa
Isn’t that amazing? Hearing from Lisa about our home’s history was the highlight of our month. No, year. Somehow our house feels even more special now that we know even more about its past. Can you believe it had a backyard tennis court? And that Lisa’s own dad built our den, sunroom and basement with his bare hands and the help of a day laborer? Unbelievable! So a huuuuge virtual bear hug goes out to Lisa and her family for beginning to mold our home into the dream house that we purchased back in 2006. And we can’t even express how much we appreciate that Lisa reached out to us and took the time to share all the unbelievable details about our home’s past life. It appears that Casa Petersik has enjoyed quite a few DIY adventures- even before we moved in with our paint brushes and hammers in hand.
Mariah says
Aw, it’s so nice that you know your home’s history… we’ve been lucky to have neighbours who knew our home’s previous owner; however, the only ‘goodies’ we’ve turned up so far are a lot of random spare keys (i’m afraid to get rid of them in case we ever find out where they’re needed some day) and a penny bag of pot that was stashed on top of our kitchen cupboards. lol i guess it was outa sight, outa mind… and i only found it because i was up there dusting and painting! it’s amazing the things that get hidden in those dark, forgotten spaces!
bfish says
Thanks for linking back to this post; I found the story fascinating and heartwarming.
We’d like to know much more about our house (previous owners say it was built in 1927, city says 1930). The most interesting things we’ve learned are about our very deep, wooded back yard which ends at the bottom of a ravine with a small stream. Way back when, an owner (the original one?) built all kinds of brick and stone walks, stairs, and patios, including down in the ravine. He used old bricks from buildings downtown that were destroyed in the Civil War. All of the construction we only discovered through excavation, after being told to look for it. There were also lights strung high in the trees — the old kind w/ cloth-covered insulation. The story is that, during Prohibition, the owner and friends partied back there in the summer to escape detection. A former neighbor told us that in more recent times (the 60s I think) the neighborhood teens spent a lot of time “playing” in the ravine, including using the stream to chill their illicit beer cans.
Kelly says
Oh my gosh, this is fascinating! I can’t believe her dad built all of that!
We found a Dear John letter in the very top of the master closet. It was from the family that originally had the house built. It made me so sad that she was leaving her family (they had 2 teen boys). I threw it away, it was just too depressing thinking that this family had to sell the house because of this hard divorce.
We bought the house from an elderly lady that lived here 4 years. I thought the original family must be long gone. Low and behold he drove down the alley one day. Saw my husband working out back and stopped to talk. He said how much he loved this house and still missed it. My husband, of course mentioned the Dear John letter and he wanted to see it (my husband didn’t realize that I had thrown it away). I felt horrid having to tell this man that I didn’t keep it.
Anyway, I hope the new owners are going to enjoy having all of this history as much as you do.
Katie says
This post made me cry, for some reason… How absolutely amazing that she took the time to write you – and to send such neat pictures of her family! I would definitely shadow-box all of those pictures and some of the memorabilia that you found … I am definitely one for historical stuff. I am a pretty nostalgic person myself!!
When I think of my own childhood home, I get a little wistful. We moved away from there when I was 12, and I miss it. I hear it is totally different, and that would make me sad and happy since it definitely needed some rehabbing. I bet the original owners of your house must really be proud of what you’ve done!
GreenInOC says
Okay, just watched your video tour and totally cringed when I saw what appears to be marble flooring in your master bath.
Good thing it’s just my foot in my mouth since that doesn’t prevent me from typing this!
I bow to your incredible design sensibilities and I hope I didn’t offend you with my comment above. Although, I imagine that your egos are totally healthy and in no way are affected by some fool’s thoughtless comment. I hope that intention counts for something – my intention certainly wasn’t to be critical of you.
Naomi says
What did you end up doing with the pictures and newspaper pieces you found?
YoungHouseLove says
We kept them in a folder. Haven’t done anything with them yet but maybe we’ll frame them in our next house to remember this house by…
xo,
s
Karen says
I am new to YHL but it’s my new favorite thing to sneak it at work! (Shhh..) This post is so touching, it almost made me cry! I am always wondering things like “if these walls could talk” and your’s did so that’s really cool!!
Katie says
Thak you guys so much for sharing this post… It almost brought tears to MY eyes! Its so amazing how any memories and how much love can be had between 4 walls. If only walls could talk… I love your blog & thank you for sharing your lives with us!
Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says
what an amazing story!!! How wonderful is it that the previous homeowner would share!!!
Jackie Toye says
I live betweent he relatives of my house former owners. They’ve watched me carry out tons of sheetrock and wood .. you almost feel like you’re trespassing, but I see them in the evening “watering their lawn” and looking through the windows and doors to see what I’ve done and I seem them smile. I have lots of pics my family’s life here and I would do the same as your former house owners. Glad to see the house is still in great shape, so many don’t make after the first owners. Keep blogging, you’re keeping me and my family motivated. My bathroom is Next … we’re studying John’s demo. This Monday, we’re Going In!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- good luck and have fun!
xo,
s
Beth R says
jackie,
Don’t ya love how often the neighbors “water the lawn” !
So cute. When I moved in, the very first week I took down the heavy tan drapes and sheers on my HUGE picture window. The elderly neighbor, shuffled over from 4 houses down and just about had a stroke! She proceded to inform me that they were custom made drapes from a very high end furniture store.I was 33yrs old and grandmas drapes were def not my style. Mrs.P could not comprehend why I would ever get rid of them. I offered to give them to her but she just shook her head and with arms flailing shuffled back home !
Her lawn was the greenest in the neighborhood that summer :)
Beth R says
Hello Young-uns,
I realize this post is years old by now, but I just stumbled upon it this morning. I sooooo wish I would have be able to talk to someone who lived in my little house for the first 38 yrs of its life. Like your home, mine had only one family. When I bought it Mr. N had left all of the original warrenties and booklets on every appliance and household improvment they bought. I thankfully still have them. The original owners built it in 1960 and raised 3 children here, which amazes me because it is only 1059 sq. ft. and I think that is being generous.The bathroom had ONE outlet near the vanity and that only had one plug! They finally sold when the wife passed away and the elderly husband went to assisted living. This was the 3rd house in the subdivision and when I moved in many of the homes were still owned by the original owners. Now the original neighbors have passed on in the last 3 yrs. So no info there. Mrs. P was the neighboorhood watch and she knew everything about everyone :) she was a great source of info.
This makes me wonder if I could somehow find one of the adult ( must be 60-70yrs old by now) children and see what they might be able to tell me.
Your post has gotten me very curious about the life of my baby brick ranch.
If walls could talk.
Beth R says
Me again.
When my only child was growing up I made little marks on the inside of her closet wall. Date and age next to it. These were not always at birthdays , but any random month.
I will always regret not being able to take/keep those markings.I guess I never really thought I would be leaving that house and should have done it on something portable. That was in 1996 and I still think about how the new people obviously have painted over them.
Nothing left to show how quickly my only baby grew in that house.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw that makes me want to cry! I hope they left it unpained – like an artifact of owners past!
xo,
s
Mizden says
I can’t remember if the ex-owners of your current house were the originals…but if not, have you been contacted by them?
I can’t remember if there is some related post like this one about your current house….it would be so cool to know more about it.
YoungHouseLove says
The old owners of our current house were here 22 years but they weren’t the original owners. They’re so sweet and moved to the mountains but read our blog from time to time.
xo
s
Mizden says
wow, I hope one day the original ones contact you so we can know how was your house back in the day
YoungHouseLove says
That would be amazing!!
xo
s
Sara says
I never saw this post, I’m so glad you linked to it today! The last paragraph especially brought tears to my eyes. So so cool.