Part III
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The couple who now owns the Foursquare met while living in one of the Renaissance Neighborhood’s vintage brick apartment buildings. They are both creative, imaginative and artisans in their own right. They share a love for history, antiques and preservation. The manner in which they came to own the home is one of those storied, ‘meant to be’ tales.
He is a dedicated treasure hunter who has uncovered countless arrowheads, tools of bone and metal objects such as jewelry, buttons, knives and more. He says of his home, “I’ve always loved doorknobs the most...” and imagines all the hands that have reached for them over the decades.
Unearthed Treasures
Door knobs from the Foursquare
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| A few images of her wet plate collodion photography and wearable art. As they started a family together, they lovingly restored a single-story clapboard bungalow on the west side of the neighborhood. Meanwhile, still owned by the Hamilton family, the Foursquare sat empty. The couple took notice of the home and the dingy paint and drooping front porch did not deter them. Instead of an empty, dated house they envisioned a beautiful, spacious home for their growing family. |
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| The Empty Foursquare |
The Foursquare, ultimately, went up for auction and the couple was able to walk through the inside for the first time. They fell even more in love with the home when they saw how intact and original everything was. It needed restoration and updating to be sure, but there were original fixtures and windows, beautiful woodwork and square footage that made sense of every inch. They could see themselves there. A few times, out on walks through the neighborhood in the evening, they would even sit on the front porch and imagine they were home.
As the home was being prepared for auction, the couple noticed very old personal items being cleared straight out of second floor windows into an industrial dumpster. Three generations of the Hamilton’s belongings had been left behind. Clothing, hats in hat boxes, vintage furs, stacks of fabric and patterns for sewing, newspapers, and even family pictures remained. The couple was able to rescue a few items but much of what had been left behind went to the landfill.
As the auction approached the couple was unprepared to place a bid of the size, they assumed, would be required to win the home. The auction took place and all who attended left with the impression that a sale had, indeed, taken place. The couple let go of their dream of owning the Foursquare at 1212 Birmingham Avenue, but not..... without actual tears.
*****
As time passed the couple couldn’t help but notice that the Foursquare remained unchanged and uninhabited.
The couple contacted the neighbor in the white farm house and learned that the auction had not resulted in sale after all. They resumed communication with Ms. Christie. When she ultimately did list the home for sale, they were prepared with an offer that included construction money for the needed repairs and updating. The offer was accepted. The Foursquare had a new family. At the closing meeting they were presented with six skeleton keys for the four bedroom/one bath American Foursquare.
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| Keys to the Foursquare |
When the new owners took possession, they explored the home from the expanse of the attic to the depths of the basement. It seems many things had escaped the industrial dumpster. Objects that remained seemed to bear silent witness to generations gone by and a way of life from the past.
An animal trough, original hot water heater, and wringer washing machine found in the basement. The suggestion that a second-floor closet once held a set of stairs that reached into the attic. Original light fixtures, leaded glass windows and original large sash windows with their antique wavy glass. A piano from the early 1900’s. Documents from oil companies, large geological core samples and empty boxes shipped from NASA. Dozens of containers of lard stored under the front porch from days when ladies made their own soap.
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| Old wringer washing machine |
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| Part of an old hot water heater |
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| Documents from the Carter Oil Company |
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| Boxes shipped from NASA to North American Rockwell Corp |
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| Dozens of canisters of lard found stowed under the front porch. Used for making soap. |
Prepping for New Exterior Paint
The couple preserved most everything they could and set about making thoughtful, period appropriate repairs and updates. Outside, the large front porch got new decking and shored up supports. The siding was scraped and repainted a timeless shade of blue. The wood floors and stairs were cleaned, sanded and shellacked by hand. Interior paint colors were carefully chosen. The kitchen and upstairs bath were updated in a manner which is conducive to modern day living but also seems perfectly fitting with the era of the home. A small pantry off the kitchen was turned into a much-needed downstairs bathroom. Central air was introduced to the home for the first time. (The last Hamilton to live in the home hadn’t even used window units!)
Original light fixtures
Original Pocket Leaded Glass Window
The Restored Reception Hall
Stairs Leading to Second Floor
Living room hearth and restored wood floor
A view from the living room, looking into the dining room and a glimpse of the piano from the early 1900's (Could this be Isabelle Fonda's piano? See Part I ) and the built in bookcases.
The dining room filled with period appropriate antiques.
*****
When the couple first took possession of the home and were in the midst of needed updates, they had some experiences that, ultimately, can only explain as being supernatural. (If the house was indeed struck by lightning all those years ago {See Part I} could that opened up some sort of gateway between worlds?)Here they are as recounted by the couple:
One day while working upstairs in one of the bedrooms, big band music seemed to be coming through the walls. The husband shrugged this off.
Small lights were seen in dark closets and then one day a large flash of light.
Later, one night, all alone in the house, the husband was again working upstairs. He was hammering bead board siding onto the sun room walls on the second floor (the old sleeping porch) that stretches across the rear of the home. Suddenly, he heard a loud bang hit the exterior of house right where he was working. He also felt the impact reverberate towards him. This was immediately very disconcerting but then he heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. Certain that someone had broken in, he grabbed his hammer for self-defense and charged into the hall only to find no one was there.
Both the husband and one child in the family mentioned seeing a little girl in the house. One child distinctly heard the phrase: “They don’t want us here.” Later another distinct phrase “We’ve got to get out of here” was heard by the wife.
Being uneasy about the occurrences, and wanting to ensure a safe, comfortable home for their young children- the couple used intentional prayer to spiritually cleanse the space and ensure only love remained. No further supernatural experiences have been had since.
*****
The reverence in which the family has maintained, restored and preserved the Foursquare is a living tribute to all who came before and for those who will come after. Preserving the past, living fully in the present but also ensuring a long future for the American Foursquare. 💗
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Thanks to P. Casey Morgan for editing.
Deep Thanks to the owners of the Foursquare for allowing me the privilege of researching and writing about their home.
Photographs are shared by current owners and/or taken by this writer.
In the first two parts I didn't realize that THIS was the house you were writing about. Thanks, Arena!
ReplyDeleteThen that is a little extra fun discovery at the end! :)
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