Gaffney, S.C., James and Rachel Hawkins
Our home was built in 1914 by Laurens Garlington Potter, CFO of the Gaffney Manufacturing Company. The house remained in the Potter family until we purchased it in 2008. The last Potter to reside here was Laurens Potter Moore, an actor who appeared in the Hitchcock film North by Northwest. The home features original heart-pine and white-oak floors and original oak pocket doors. A modern kitchen was installed with cabinets inspired by those found in the butler’s pantry. We still have the original blueprints drawn up by renowned Charlotte, N.C., architect Louis. H. Asbury.
San Jose, Calif., Kimberly Walint Echeverri
Here are two pictures of my house, one taken in 1920 and the other taken last year when we bought it. This house has changed hands in my family since the 1920s. The house was built in 1910 by the Normandin family; they sold carriages back then and sell cars today. The Normandins sold the house to the Bradleys in 1920. Babe Bradley, who grew up in the house, became my mother’s surrogate father when her own father died in WWII. I’m very glad to have this house back in my life. Lots of history and charm here.
Wellesley, Mass., Sue Kinney
Our 1915 Craftsman Bungalow is bit of an oddity in Massachusetts. We purchased the home 20 years ago in some disrepair; the work that had been done was not appropriate (’60s yellow Formica kitchen, ugly ’70s glassed-in front porch). But it had great bones and oozed charm. The final phase of our renovations concluded in late fall, culminating with a historically accurate front porch, designed from original photos with the help of a gifted architect and talented contractors. The best compliment is when people say the porch “looks like it was always meant to be there.” That it was.
Maywood, Calif., Liza Salvatti
It wasn’t until my Grandma passed away that I really took an interest in this 1915 bungalow (possibly Sears and Roebuck) and its history, its glass doorknobs and the wooden cabinets built by a family friend who worked as a carpenter for Warner Bros. I can still see my Grandma sitting in the original window seat enjoying her coffee. This house will forever be a virtual family album to us; every time we enjoy it as a family we share our memories of a wonderful woman.
Panama City, Fla., Brett Hitchcock and Margaret Green Hitchcock
In 2005, soon after we married, we purchased our 1928 bungalow in desperate need of TLC. My original four-month project became a two-year mission. I wanted to not just renovate, but to restore the home to its 1925 state. We restored the original “fat lighter” tongue-and-groove walls, ceilings and floors, stripped and repainted the solid pine doors, reinforced the exterior foundation and cleaned and re-used the old irregular-sized bricks. We also installed a 100-year-old clawfoot tub. It’s been a sometimes painful but rewarding project. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Los Angeles, Calif., Matthew and Katie Artukovich
In 2002, we purchased our wonderful home in the historic neighborhood of Windsor Square, where nearly 90 percent of the homes are in their original state. Ours was one of the few residential structures designed by John and Donald Parkinson (architects of Los Angeles City Hall and Memorial Coliseum). We found it in great shape; we simply restored the floors and wood-paneled walls, updated the kitchen and installed a beautiful handcrafted fence. Every evening, we enjoy spending time on our front porch, watching the neighborhood from our Adirondack chairs while our young daughter plays.
Long Beach, Calif., Michelle Quintana and Kathy Anderson
We purchased our home in 2012 as a severely neglected foreclosure property. It was built in 1910 in the historical district of Bluff Heights. We’ve repainted the house in the historical colors of the era. We’ve also added a period screen door, Arts and Crafts address numbers and a historic plaque. The interior boasts original oak hardwood floors, stained-glass and beveled windows, and a charming built-in cabinet. Neighbors were thrilled to see us pour heart and soul into it; realtors stop by to ask if it was a “flip” since we did so much so quickly.
Wichita, Kan., Roxann Miller Reich
My neighborhood, Riverside, is nestled where the Big Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers meet. It is a wonderful place, with many bungalow-style homes. Ours was built in 1925 by a family that owned a concrete factory (hence the stucco finish). To this day it remains very close to its original look. Luckily the previous owners, like us, loved it just the way it is. We imagine that many children grew up here, and we have always felt this small house harbors an abundance of loving memories. It simply feels like home.
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