Reading other's blogs with black and white photographs of their homes from yesteryear I find myself both eager and jealous. I have been looking for photos of this home for restoration purposes and also for pure curiosity.
A fellow blogger (the Enos Kellogg House) found a photo of his home from the WPA program (of the Great Depression). The program was designed to give work to those unemployed by having them go out and document historic structures (see inserted example). I searched for mine, finding only a description, but no photos. Click here for the WPA program's listings of historic structures.
As for my home's description, it has a "Small 'porch.' Some 18th century raised paneling. Smoke oven in attic. Original hearthstone. Condition - Fair."
I am quite disheartened that there are no photos of my home. Our town's archives don't have any nor does the Historical Society. The only persons that I can think of that would have photos would be those who lived here. As such, I am considering using social media to find relatives of the prior owners, hoping that family photographs may lead me to a path of discovery.
This may not work with random people having the same last name who are thinking that some odd-ball is stalking them. I hope not. Instead, I'd hope for something along the lines of, "No, sorry, not my family" or better yet, "Sure! Here you go!"
I'll post back any findings, but chances are that most people will find my requests bordering on harassment or invasion of privacy. We'll see.
Steve, I've tried reaching out to relatives of previous owners by Facebook and old fashioned letter, with not too much luck, but it is definitely worth a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Also, have you taken a look at the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) to see if your house is inventoried there? I believe that their database is at least partially searchable online, but you might want to call them to check on your house specifically. There have to be old pictures of your house out there somewhere. My parents found a Victorian photo album with pictures of our Connecticut house at a country auction in Pennsylvania, so you never know when or how they might turn up. Keep the faith!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the suggestion. HABS had four pages of images from my town of the same three buildings. Unfortunately, none were of mine but of the local church, a home that was relocated to MA and the old school house. Bummer. I'll keep my eyes open for other sources.
DeleteI found this blog and will continue reading. My wife and I are in the process of buying a New England home from 1730. It's going to be an adventure...
ReplyDeleteYes it will Kevin! Especially when your home inspector arrives :) He/She may just scare you away. If you do get that feeling, remember that what your inspector finds is more ammunition for negotiations.
DeleteWhen we were going through the process (see here: http://confessionsofanantiquehome.blogspot.com/2011/10/welcome.html), the seller had poorly invested her money into the home and had hopped to get some of it back when selling it. With homes of this vintage, owners are reluctant to negotiate after spending oodles on maintenance.
I wish you luck and when you move in, enjoy the home. They're plenty to work on, but the praise from passersby and the pure satisfaction of preserving history is awesome!