Old Houses

Wood'nCoal · By: **Wood'nCoal** On: Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:10 pm

ken wrote:very nice , i like the porch

It is nice. I would like an open porch like that, but the way mine was built kind of rules it out, poured concrete part way up.

ken · By: **ken** On: Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:17 pm

i had the leadger board attached to the house for a wrap around porch. after i got hurt there was no way i was gunna afford it. so i will settle for a porch on the front.

e.alleg · By: **e.alleg** On: Wed Feb 20, 2008 12:51 am

I've got 4 porches, the cats live on one, the kids have all their stuff piled on the other ones.

pointydog · By: **pointydog** On: Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:15 pm

For old pictures- see the HABS report:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?p ... County,+NY))

Here is a recent front and back:

pointydog · By: **pointydog** On: Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:18 pm

Sorry about the HABS link, try report number HABS NY-6255 in the query box.

House was built in 1840, with additions in 1852 (kitchen) and 1858 or so.

Chris in NY

CBT69 · By: **CBT69** On: Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:17 am

Ours is in quaint Emmaus PA, and is a rambling place, which has suffered more than it's fair share of add-ons and improvements.

The "original" house was built sometime in the 1700s, and is stone. 14" walls, and was originally one room, as far as we can tell, one floor, with a walk-in basement. It looks like there was a porch off the back that had a summer-kitchen in it, based on some of the stubs left in the walls and smoke marks on the stone.

Around 1860 (when it was deeded), they put on a second floor, and built a room off the back running the full width of the house, by 18 feet deep, all in brick. (Which makes it _really_ interesting running anything from the second floor down to the first!).

Then, in the 1960's, they added _another_ addition, stick built, off that, that is a single story, with a small room, huge kitchen, first floor bath, and first floor laundry.

Just to add to the fun, the entire place burned out and was redone in the 1920's, so it's all thick solid hardwood, and mission/stickley trim.

One of the stone rooms still has the original plaster on the walls, and the rest of them have been exposed, with a granite chair rail/plate rail installed, and beadboard wainscotting from there down to the floor.

It's a very "castle" feeling, but quite chilly in the winter.

I'll post pics when I get some good ones. I have photographed everything _but_ the house.

coaledsweat · By: **coaledsweat** On: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:01 pm

CBT69 wrote:Ours is in quaint Emmaus PA

Is there anything left of Spirax-Sarco there now?

CBT69 · By: **CBT69** On: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:40 pm

coaledsweat wrote:
CBT69 wrote:Ours is in quaint Emmaus PA

Is there anything left of Spirax-Sarco there now?

honestly, I Didn't know Spirax was ever here.

Sidenote: My Dad worked for Drayton controls, which became a Spirax-Sarco subsidiary, but the plant was over in Allentown closer to Dorney Park than in Emmaus.

I know there's a _BIG_ industrial plant which has changed hands several times down the street from my place, currently owned by Air Products and Chemicals (whom I contracted for up until I became a full time stay-at-home Dad).

Small world, that you mention Spirax.

Wood'nCoal · By: **Wood'nCoal** On: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:24 pm

CBT, sounds like an interesting place, not far from here. It's interesting to try to find out what was done when and by who in these places.
When you can please post some photos.

WNY · By: **WNY** On: Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:59 am

Figured I would re-kindle this one for the newbies.

here a few more pics of our restoration progress....

My Wife did MOST of the work on the front Porch Ceiling this summer, stripped, painted and stenciled stars, I worked on the posts, deck, we have new spindles made too.....she will paint them up over the winter (5 colors!).

Wood'nCoal · By: **Wood'nCoal** On: Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:11 am

Looks great Dave. The clarity of your photos shows just how much hard work both of you have done. It's a labor of love.

ken · By: **ken** On: Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:35 am

that had to be a job , stripping that ceiling. stars look cool. the trim on the windows and porch are really nice. like John said , "it's a labor of love".

WNY · By: **WNY** On: Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:44 am

Yes, it is! It's been White for probably 50+ years, now, with a lot of pealing paint. We are taking it back to the multi-color victorian style (Painted Lady, they call it). Stripping it completely down to wood, sand, fill, prime and paint. phew...

It will be a showcase once we are done, but you are never really done with any of these types of houses.

Slow but sure.

chemung · By: **chemung** On: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:05 am

I owned two old houses. The first a Victorian was built in the 1920's the second a Colonial built in the mid 1800's.

The Victorian was my favorite. When I bought it it had a single circuit knob and tube wiring off two glass 15 amp fuses. A single circuit fused twice. I had a 200 amp service installed then I bought a book at Sears for .50 cents that taught me all I needed to know about wiring a home. I rewired the entire home having 14 circuits when I finished. Besides the wiring I replaced all the plumbing and remodeled the only bath room. Built some closets in bedrooms, insulated the unfinished attic. The home had full rough cut timbers. That is the 2x4's etc. were full cut. Not the present day stuff. It was on a 30 X 60 ft. lot, no off street parking. We lived in it for 7 years then sold it to get off the hill. All our children were born while living there.

: (43.17 KiB) Viewed 31 times; View: New Page • Popup • Select:BBCode; Nice Hill, eh? And no off street parking.; [nepathumb]7375[/nepathumb]

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We sold the Victorian to get off that hill and have more space for the kids to play. We bought the mid 1800's Colonial with six bedrooms 1.5 baths a yard and an over sized one car garage. The house had been built onto over the years. It had a total of 15 rooms. I didn't do much to that house but live in it. I spent most of my time living there working overtime building up my retirement which I am enjoying now. We sold that house and a couple months later it was torn down to make way for the progress of man.

: (634.98 KiB) Viewed 12 times; View: New Page • Popup • Select:BBCode; House and Garage. The lot was 44X175 ft.; [nepathumb]7377[/nepathumb]

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Now we have two ranch homes on a single lot. One being a three bedroom modular that we live in and the other is a two bedroom stick built that I will use as my barn/workshop/storage. Both have separate septic but share the same well.

WNY · By: **WNY** On: Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:08 pm

Like they say, it all in the details.....

New Spindles
a. original with 7-8 layers of paint, rot, etc..
b. stripped and dissected for a cutter blade template
c. finished spindle with extra stock (for the stair railings to be cut at 30 degrees or so).
d. cut to size for the porch railings
e. Finish Paint colors!!

139 more to go!!

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More Details on the Porch, once section done, now onto to the front and other side....phew...a lot of work!!

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