History of Our Foursquare Part 1

The History of Our Foursquare Part 1:

Our home has an interesting history.  It is registered in the National Register of Historic Homes, and like the other homes in the historic district, it has a plaque on the front of it stating this honor.  With the plaque comes an understanding and responsibility by the homeowner that whenever possible the original character of the home needs to be considered and reflected in the renovations.  When certain renovations are done we can apply for a tax deduction/discount.  The reason this is in place is because keeping original character is a more expensive process. Some homeowners have cut corners over the years and put modern things in our historic home (like ceiling fans in the upstairs bedrooms) but for the most part the home is in tact. I am not an expert in old homes, but it is my goal to research and attempt to highlight the original character of our home whenever possible.

Over its 100 year history our home has undertaken many renovations, but the biggest was when it was picked up from its location near the Kress library and carefully moved down Broadway in De Pere and set down in its current location. Here is a photo of the home being prepared for the move.  You can see that a large porch was removed.  What I wouldn't give for a porch that extended the entire length of the front of our home. We spend many summer nights on our front porch waiving to friends as they drive by and honk. The great thing about moving the home in the 60's is that we have a poured foundation...you just don't find that in 100 year old homes.

Thank you to the owner who moved our home.  I would have been biting my nails the whole time.  How did they do that?  See image below.  You can see the house being moved right down Broadway.  Thank you Joe Seroogy for sending me this great photo!

The Living Room Fireplace

The Living Room Fireplace:

Before…

Our living room was really dark.  Although I love chocolate, I didn't like it on our walls.  The fireplace mantle was so skinny I thought I might break it if I put anything on it.  I also didn't like the brass fireplace doors.  The fireplace itself hadn't been used in years.  After a quick cleaning and inspection we found out the fireplace was in great condition.  I wanted to bring this fireplace and living room back to life.

I painted the walls a light, warm color called Oakwood Manor.  The living room really seemed twice as big and more inviting with this color on the walls.  We added new black glass doors, trim and a stained reclaimed wood mantel.  It is a wood burning fireplace and it took us some time to figure out how to properly open the damper and start a good fire, but now we really enjoy one of the best features of our living room.

Our Home - 1910 American Foursquare

Our Home - 1910 American Foursquare:

I am one of those crazy people who falls in love with old homes.  I love the character, the sounds of hardwood floors, the echo from the tall ceilings, the ripple effect in the old glass windows, the prisms created from beveled leaded glass, and the overall character that you just can't find in new homes.

When we first stumbled across our 1910 American Foursquare we knew we were in for a lifetime of work, but despite that we went ahead.  For the most part we just lived in the house as it was.  I feel it is important to live in a house and get used to how the house works before beginning work.  Old houses have many discoveries and there are things that should never be changed and things (usually incorrect updates over the years) that need correcting.

This was our home when we first moved in.

I hope to share some before and after photos in future posts as we make progress on our home.  Thank you for reading my blog and please feel free to leave comments and suggestions.

Take care,

Sadie