From The Burbs: House & Home: Finding buried treasure

It wasn't exactly buried nor is it really treasure; but to me it is just as good.

For two years now, I have been going over catalog home floor plans and pictures for anything remotely resembling my home prior to its many revisions and revampments; and for two years I have had not even an inkling of luck. At one point I went as far as enlisting the help from forums at the American Bungalow website and The Arts and Crafts Society website by posting what pictures and information I had at the time. That too helped very little, if at all.

However, I am happy, no, ecstatic to report that my luck has changed and I have found a new favorite person to add to my ever-growing list. Below, I have attached my weekend journal that I wrote regarding my "Money Pit." I hope you enjoy reading it and looking at my newly acquired fortune.

Friday, June 6th 2008

Tonight I received a pleasant surprise: a phone call from a man called “Sparky” who owns a local “junk” shop here in town.

I had briefly talked to him the other day when I was waiting tables up at Hobbs Main Street Memories for a friend who was out of town. "Sparky," in passing, told me he had brochures/pamphlets regarding prices for services the hospital rendered. I told him I would love to purchase one from him if he had extras. He said he would have to look for them. I assumed he was just pacifying me and I would not hold my breath on ever getting my hands on such a find.

I was wrong. “Sparky” came through! He told me to come by the shop tomorrow and pick it up. I am so excited. The shop opens at 8 am and I plan to be there shortly thereafter (even with it being a Sat. - I enjoy sleeping in).

While conversing with him over the phone he also told me he was once president of the hospital board. I invited him to come over some time and look through our home. I am sure he will remember much of what it looked like as a hospital. He already has said that our now staircase used to be a ramp that would lead up to the surgical rooms.

Last week (also while working at Hobbs Main Street Memories): Lena B. told me her mother used to be one of the cooks for the hospital. She remembered walking around to the side of the hospital and down to the basement where the kitchen was. Surprisingly, the kitchen cabinets, although in pretty rough shape, are still in the basement. She remembered the detached building being the very large laundry room, a fact I had heard before, but never-the-less solidifying even more the reason for my finding the large metal lid to an old washing machine (which reminds me: I need to see if I can find on-line pictures of and information on such a machine). Lena B. also said that the house when you just come into town, which coincidentally is up for sale, was Dr. Kiesel’s home. Josh jokingly asked if I wanted to purchase it to go along with ours. “One money pit is enough,” I said.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

“Sparky” is one of my new favorite people!

I sent Josh this morning up to “Sparky’s” shop to pick up the hospital price book. What a find!!!!!!!!! It is so much more than I had ever imagined. Yes, the booklet contains all the prices of yesteryear; but even more than that it has pictures of not only the people who worked in the hospital but of the hospital itself.

For months-on-end I have been searching through catalog home floor plans and pictures trying to find something, anything that looked similar to my house so that I could see maybe what it had looked like before the front was closed in and all the remodeling had taken place. Although I still do not know the floor plan of my home, I now know what it looked like on the outside!!! I am so excited I am actually teary-eyed.

Right on the front of the booklet is a picture of my house - before the addition, before the porch was closed in. My home, at one point, was gorgeous!! If only I could knock down the walls and re-establish the porch. With all the windows having been closed in and the fireplace added and the extra addition, this is not possible; but maybe, just maybe I can add another front porch on that resembles the original. (Just add another project to our ever-growing list.)

Also in the booklet are pictures of the interior. Although I am unsure yet as to what rooms were where, I am so than