Committee member for historic house

[iris lilies]

4744Yesterday I was appointed to a Historical .society’s committee to purchase and restore a house I lived in as a child. This house is in Iowa and I’ve showed a picture of it here before. But I will post another one.


I think this effort will turn out to be a shit show


My cousin talked to me about being on the committee and said someone else, a friend of my mother, wanted both me and my brother to be on the committee. My cousin who is on the board of the town’s historical society summarized truthfully where the group is politically, financially, and organizationally.


I repeat, sounds like it will be a shit show.


But I have no emotional investment in this house being purchased by this Historical group. My emotional goal is that the house be cared for by someone who can afford it, and do the necessary repairs that 40 years of neglect have brought upon it.


D H and I can bring to the table a certain amount of knowledgeable eyeballing as to the condition of the house. No one else in that town has any knowledge of Victoriana because there’s no Victorian architecture there. There’s no interesting architecture at all. It is an architectural wasteland.


But then, even if the historical society can somehow cough up the money to purchase this house, they will restore it to —what? Because I don’t know what it supposed to look like inside. See, that’s where my area of expertise leaves. me. I know what 1875 houses in East Coast cities look like. I do not know what 1875 houses on the prairie are supposed to look like, and this one has had several additions and deletions to confuse. It is not an architectural whole. It is way different from the houses in St. Louis.

shitshow.

My dream for this house this is that a couple in their 50s who have money and who love old houses would buy it and make it whole. I truly think any historical society ownership project will simply limp along, But I will keep my lip zipped about that although I have shared my skepticism with my cousin.

[iris lilies]

Oh well the more I think about this more I am annoyed with the small town where I grew up. The only reason this house is anything special is because it is there in a sea of unspecialNess. If it was in any number of Midwestern towns and cities it would not be all that special.

[frugal-one]

Do you want to do this? Can you decline? You don't live in Iowa.... sounds like a headache (IMO) unless it is something you are passionate about.

[catherine]

Why is the historical society interested in your house? No offense intended--it's just that if the area isn't known for historical architecture, what is their mission in terms of preserving your house?

[iris lilies]

Why is the historical society interested in your house? No offense intended--it's just that if the area isn't known for historical architecture, what is their mission in terms of preserving your house?
It’s the only thing of interest in the entire town?

Ha ha, That’s a little harsh but I couldn’t wait to get out of there. This house was built by one of the town’s founders and they would like to preserve it and use it as a historical center for the community. There are ideas of having part of it be a house museum, part an art gallery for local artists, a program venue, a party/wedding rented place. Their ideas of renting out parts of it for weddings might work because it has a big yard that COULD be nicely landscaped.

Apparently they are running out of room for their collections at the current location which is part of why this thing is a shitshow because the collection is entirely unorganized. Just getting more room to pile more unorganized, uncataloged stuff is not helpful to anyone it’s just hoarding.
I do have an ulterior motive and that is to get in the house to see how it’s fared over these last 50-ish years. With this committee assignment I have a chance to do that.

[ToomuchStuff]

What part of Iowa?

[iris lilies]

What part of Iowa?Altoona, Iowa.

[Tradd]

Well, IL, will definitely be interesting to hear what happens and what sort of condition the house is in.

[littlebittybobby]

Okay----I'm wondering if you've checked to see if it's stigmamatized? Have you hired a Paranormal Group to assess the property for paranormal activity? It does look very spooky. But, yeah---most big old Victorians do look spooky. That one reminds me of the(Lizzy) Borden House out east. Yup. It might be best to put the place in the hands of a well-funded, experienced catt rescuer. There are some catts that can't successfully be placed in a furever home, due to too much cattitude or chronic ailments, but I know they'd love sitting on all those window sills. So consider that a possible avenue to go down. Yup. Hope that helps you some.4754

[littlebittybobby]

Okay----here's a photo of an old, old hospital in NYC, built in 1884 and used as Memorial Hospital until oh, about 1930. It has since been converted into residential housing units. But yeah---that thing looks scary, doesn't it? Yikes, them Noo-yawkahs have nerves o' steel, ta live in a place like that! Usually, in the midwest(flyover country) places like that get torn down. Yup.4755

[littlebittybobby]

Altoona, Iowa. Altoona is in Pennsyvania. You're prolly thinkin about Algona.Yup. Hope that helps yoiu some.4757

[iris lilies]

Altoona is in Pennsyvania. You're prolly thinkin about Algona.Yup. Hope that helps yoiu some.4757

Yes I’m sure you’re right.

[frugal-one]

Jeez... tries to tell you where you lived????

For lbb.....
Altoona, Iowa
altoona-iowa.com
Altoona is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States, and is a part of the Des Moines metropolitan area. The population was 19,565 at the 2020 census. Altoona is home of the Adventureland amusement park and Prairie Meadows horse racing track and casino.Wikipedia
Country:
United States

[littlebittybobby]

Jeez... tries to tell you where you lived????

For lbb.....
Altoona, Iowa
altoona-iowa.com
Altoona is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States, and is a part of the Des Moines metropolitan area. The population was 19,565 at the 2020 census. Altoona is home of the Adventureland amusement park and Prairie Meadows horse racing track and casino.Wikipedia
Country:
United StatesF-1, While I do respect your right to an opinion, I don't know where you get your misinformation. See----you've never lived in I-wah, so how would you know? But yeah---Algona is the place where the old house is. I just know it. Hope that helps you some. Looky at the proof, right here. Penna has Altoona, I-wah has Algona. See? Case Closed.475847594760

[frugal-one]

IL knows where she lived. You don’t. Check Wikipedia again… I put the info in post 13. You are the misinformed one. I never read your posts so this probably is your moniker to be contrary?

[littlebittybobby]

Okay----FYI, this is the old place in ALGONA, that needs restoration. See? Many of the early settlers in Kossuth County, of which Algona is the county seat, emigrated to America from what was Austria-Hungary. They have sort-of German names. Yup. But yeah---I was IN Algona overnight just about 5 years ago. It is a plain ordinary town, not what you'd call "esthetic" or "Historic". They did, however, have a mass-murder of a wealthy family by a son, some years back. I don't know where their (former) home is, but it's there, and so is the building I've got shown below. Yup. Hope that helps you some. And, as always---I urge you to Thank Mee.4764

[iris lilies]

Okay----FYI, this is the old place in ALGONA, that needs restoration. See? Many of the early settlers in Kossuth County, of which Algona is the county seat, emigrated to America from what was Austria-Hungary. They have sort-of German names. Yup. But yeah---I was IN Algona overnight just about 5 years ago. It is a plain ordinary town, not what you'd call "esthetic" or "Historic". They did, however, have a mass-murder of a wealthy family by a son, some years back. I don't know where their (former) home is, but it's there, and so is the building I've got shown below. Yup. Hope that helps you some. And, as always---I urge you to Thank Mee.4764

yes that is probably the house, minus all of its ornamentals that were there just last week.

[littlebittybobby]

yes that is probably the house, minus all of its ornamentals that’s were there just last week.Okay----See what IL/Faux/Eddie said? I'm right. Ha. Gotcha. But yeah---strippers go in, and take anything of salvage value. The wrought iron, stained glass, copper wiring, radiators, fixtures. Anything with salvage value. Yup. But, that settles it. Game over. End of story. Yup.4765

[littlebittybobby]

Okay------FYI, this is where IL used to live. Or thereabouts, a modest cottage in Collegetown, USA. Yup. Home of Moo U. Silo Tech. Football. Yup. Hope that helps you some.4766

[littlebittybobby]

Okay----So, nobody wants to discuss this topic any more? I was just asking; otherwise if not, I'm going back to tend to my Very Important Subjects. But yeah---we resolved the issue of the location. Yup.

[iris lilies]

Okay----So, nobody wants to discuss this topic any more? I was just asking; otherwise if not, I'm going back to tend to my Very Important Subjects. But yeah---we resolved the issue of the location. Yup.
I do not recognize that house as one I lived in, but I’m sure you are right.

[littlebittybobby]

But yeah---I would like to get on thatt committee, and make sure that thing is done right. Yup.

[iris lilies]

But yeah---I would like to get on thatt committee, and make sure that thing is done right. Yup.
What a marvelous idea, you would undoubtedly be right on any issue presented to the committee.

[littlebittybobby]

Okay---I got an idea right now I can bring to the table---knock 'er down, clean 'er up and put up a new tin building and start up a place called: "Boss Hawg BBQ", with a Dukes O' Hazzard motif. Racks o' ribs, Big thick smoked I-Wah chops, & whole smoked Memphis-Style Rotisserrie Chickins. People will get out and DRIVE from miles around, just to EAT, for something to DO. See---it'd prolly cost moren it's worth, to rehab an old place like that. Something good--like a place that serves MEAT is going to do more for Iwah and Iwah Farmers, than some decrepit old house! That I know. Yup. All in favor, say Aye. Motion Passed. Meeting Adjourned. Hope that helps you some.

[littlebittybobby]

Okay---Here's one o' the Machine Shed Drive-N-Eat Restorants up in IWah. This is in Davenport. Yup. It is very patriotic, with respect to IWah drive-n-eat culture, I guess. Anyway, if I could get the dimensions of the lot that old house is standing on, we can figure out how to set another awesome and a-may-zeen restaurant on the lot, after we raze the existing structure. Yup. IWah is about Real Progress, in its own special way. Hope that helps you some.47814781

[iris lilies]

The latest update on my committee work, such as it is: the Historical Society’s key people and city inspector have toured the house and find it to be in decent shape. I live 6 hours away and didnt go on the tour.

There is apparent interest from City Council folks to purchase the house with tax dollars. Grandiose plans of re building the big old carriage house ( which previous owners destroyed from neglect) and adding an elevator are being discussed.

This first idea is dumb. This second idea about an elevator horrifies me. I now wonder if any people on this committe have actually visited an historic home the size of this one, which is to say small and not significant.

They may not ruin my old house with a frckn elevator. I will protest.

[littlebittybobby]

Okay---what I would suggest is that you make an offer to purchase the old Stewart Mansion, and then as an experienced preservationist/historian, restore it in the right way. Even put the old staircase from the Herman house, in it. See? Maybe you could make it into a bed-n-breakfast for people who want to drive-n-eat at the nearby Bum Steer, and then take the graaaaaandkids to adventureland carnival rides. See? I believe it would be a splendid idea. Plus, ytou could have a big-screen TV airing old episodes of Downtwon Abbyss and Mooo-veees and stuff, in the Parlour. Yup. But yeah--Go for it. Hope that helpps you some.4890

[iris lilies]

The city of Altoona Iowa has refused to buy this historic house. so the local historical society will not buy it after all. Case closed.

Now the owners will sell it to a private party, which PROBABLY will be the best thing for it. I could not see the reality of a tiny historical society coming up with the funding to put half a million dollars into it, which is what the building estimate was.

now, here’s the shocking thing: I saw a glimpse of the interior. My family moved away 50 years ago. The muslin curtains my mother made on her sewing machine are still on the windows. That god-awful wallpaper, flocked wallpaper that is dimensional and would collect dust is still on the walls.

This does not bode well for the overall condition of this house.

[Tybee]

For goodness sake, get the muslin curtains and put them somewhere in one of your houses. Just for your mom's sake.

[Teacher Terry]

I am not surprised that they aren’t going to buy it. Certainly doesn’t seem worth it to the little town at that price.

[iris lilies]

For goodness sake, get the muslin curtains and put them somewhere in one of your houses. Just for your mom's sake.
Oh god noooooo!!!!!! Those curtains weren’t even nice at that time let alone now. Funny that my mother paid to have one window professionally draped, the one at the top of the stairs, but that drapery no longer is there.

Here is the link. The full photos are mine, ones I sent to the historical society showing the house when I lived there.

Toward the bottom of article are 4 glimpses of the current state of the house. I will bitchily point put out the newel post is not original, the top of it anyway. Someone has fked with it. The proportion of the added piece looks way off to me.

http://altoonahistory.org/haineshouse/

[Tybee]

What a lovely house.

[catherine]

Yes, it's really nice, and I like the fact they gave a nod to the "other owners" who "helped preserve its history."--I'm assuming they are referencing your family.

It sounds like it would have been really nice to have kept it for workshops and classes as an extension of the Historical Society, but I can understand that it would have been a big undertaking. We had a house like that in my New Jersey town. The town did some renovations and repairs, but it never really achieved its potential as a community resource. I can't find any recent references to is on the internet, so who knows what's going on with it now, if anything. It did get historic landmark status, so it might just be sitting there, rotting away.

It would be a better tribute to your family to have another family enjoy it--and hopefully they will recognize its historical value.

[iris lilies]

What a lovely house.
I was pretty attached to it, but in reality, it’s not as nice as the one we lived in earlier, and I’ve shown a picture of that one. If I had to choose between the two houses, I would take the other one, not the one the subject of this thread.

[Tradd]

I laughed at the “rot” for “wrought” iron fence in the link IL posted. :laff:

[iris lilies]

I laughed at the “rot” for “wrought” iron fence in the link IL posted. :laff:
Yes, I saw that and bitched about it to my cousin. that is a pet peeve of mine. I see it around here all the time in ads as people try to sell their fence materials.
I also see and do not like “ Rod iron” which is slightly more logical.

[littlebittybobby]

Okay---Hey Dude---they need to make that-old-house into like--a buddhist hippie commune, where kids who moved to Doo-Doo town can come back to I-wah and live. They might contribute to the local economy by running an east-west MJ pipeline. Yup. MJ is agerculture, every bit as much as torturing pigs and chickens. But prolly better in the long run.5286528652875287

[iris lilies]

More boring stuff from Iris about the old house she once lived in follows. Now it is officially on the market, ow that the city fathers have declined to buy it.

Compare photos from 50 years ago to today’s interior look, and take note that the wallpaper and curtains in the parlor are still there, 50 years later.

parlor 50 years ago, and now

5380 5381


dining room 50 years ago, and now

5382 5383

Zillow listing is below. Look at the plaster falling off the ceilings, lack of paint, general dreary interior although any house looks a bit neglected without furniture in it. The exterior was recently painted white, covering ip the half color job previous owner made decades ago. Yes, it was halfway painted in colors, then he stopped.

previous owner neglected the carriage house to a point where they tore it down recently.


https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/202-2nd-St-SE-Altoona-IA-50009/823206_zpid/

[catherine]

If the right person gets their hands on that house, it could be absolutely amazing. The cheaper updates are all cosmetic. There is so much beautiful original stuff in there! Pray to god the new owners respect the heritage.

[JaneV2.0]

That will be a handsome old house with the right owners.

[iris lilies]

I harken back to feeling teenaged angst when I look at the decorating choices of my parents 50 years ago. A time capsule. Ok, they weren’t awful, but they were not timeless classics either. Red flocked wallpaper. “Antiqued” green woodwork in one room with wall paneling the same color. Orange carpet.

It is all there in its glory.

[Teacher Terry]

It’s a great old house. I really love the woodwork. It needs a young family with good DIY skills.

[catherine]

I remember how happy I was when I returned to my great-aunt's cottage after 40 years and they had barely touched it. It was exactly the same as I remembered it. And then the next year they sold it, and the new owners razed it. Time marches on, and change is inevitable. Hopefully there will only be good changes in store for your childhood home.

[iris lilies]

Here is the house in its current state:

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/202-2nd-St-SE_Altoona_IA_50009_M70476-76720

things are not going well for it. A year and a half ago someone bought it to flip it. He did all kinds of necessary work such as plumbing, electrical, new roof, some HVAC work. He installed new bathrooms and kitchen. Then he slapped a price tag of $600,000+ on it. That’s pretty high because it has no garage because the previous owners who live there for 50 years let the old barn which was a double garage fall down. I’m very angry with those previous owners for that. And they never did any work on the house, it looked like a shambles for most of the 50 years they had it.

The flipper painted the entire interior Tiffany blue, an odd choice. The home Depot kitchen is cheap. He PAINTED OVER the wallpaper. That just seems… Unsustainable.

Not surprisingly, it did not sell.

so the flipper finally reduced the price to in the mid 500,000 and a real estate company bought it and now they want to change the zoning to commercial. The historical society and people who care are petitioning the city council not to rezone it, but it will probably go through. The real estate company is talking about ripping out doorways to make it ADA compliant, which would be tragic in the living room because that is unique cherry and Oak woodwork.

I hate these people, all of them.

[catherine]

I feel your pain, IL. I do not like that blue at all with the woodwork and the fact that they just slapped it up in every room. And they painted over some of the window moulding. The kitchen definitely looks cheap. So sorry.

[rosarugosa]

I concur. Such a wonderful house.