Souderton-Telford Historical Society

This ‘Oldish’ House

by Cory Alderfer | Jul 2018 | Lifestyle

by Cory Alderfer

By some standards my house is really not that old. In the year 2020 it will turn 90, as researched through census records and deductions made from Sanborn Insurance maps. By some standards, it’s really not all that special, since bungalow twins like mine are peppered all over Souderton, Telford, and beyond. But what is special and important to members of our Historical Society are the ways in which we all are trying to retain and enhance the characteristics of our various houses, no matter when they were built.

The American Bungalow style home was popular from 1905-1930. Mine slides in at the tail end of the period with slightly less bells and whistles, but still carries the main ideas. There is wood, and a lot of it. My baseboards are 7-1/2 inches deep from the floor to the crown. All of my window frames, often 2 and 3 windows connected, another important characteristic, and all the archways and door frames are at least 3-1/2 inches wide with 6-inch crowns. There are little hooks hanging beneath the arch between my dining and living rooms. Originally there would have hung a curtain, but now it’s great for hanging Christmas lights and garland. Someday I may stencil appropriate motifs onto linen and return the archway to its former glory. If my house were 10 years older the wood throughout would mostly likely be chestnut. Alas by 1930 the common wood was pine, but stained with English Chestnut color stain, which is once again available. My woodwork has never been stripped or painted. It’s not necessarily in the best condition, but I love it just the same. Most of my windows are original, much to the chagrin of the people who try to sell me new ones; but I happily point out how lucky I am to still have them, as wood is a fine insulator. We occasionally have to replace the ropes; and sometimes when it’s very windy the windows rattle, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. A home that is too air tight is not always a healthy home.

The paint schemes of a bungalow are very specific, as are the colors of many home styles. If you Google the major paint manufacturers you will possibly find palates that will coordinate with your style house. My house uses colors found in nature: greens, gold, rust, browns and gray. We painted our dining room walls dark green-blue-gray, the color of slate found in a Pennsylvania creek. The lighter more exuberant colors of the later Ranch style home would appear garish or out of place in mine. The insides of my closets still have some of the original wallpaper. Yes, wallpaper in closets and on the ceilings, which helped mask the less than smooth plaster throughout the home. All of our ceilings are now covered by wallboard, as the cracks in the plaster were too difficult to repair.

I adore my radiators, especially the deep dining room one where we enjoy sitting in the winter reading books or catching up on the day. My floors are all 2-3/8″ wide soft wood pine boards laid side by side and nailed down, no tongue and groove here! Only the outer edge of the floor was stained and the center left raw as either a large rug or an oil cloth was always centered in the room. Bungalows are known for their front porches, which was essential to the home, family, and the friendly fabric of the neighborhood. At some point in time wrought iron railings were installed, and after much deliberation we replaced them with materials which require no maintenance but still have the appearance of the original wood structures.

What I like most is that I am the guardian of a home that was lived in and loved by the others that came before me. First, the Fredericks who built the garage in 1931, and added a small addition to it for Jesses’s work bench in 1948 and in between laid a sidewalk from the house to the garage in 1942. How do I know? Those dates had been proudly scratched into the wet cement. The Roses lived in the house from 1969-1980 which they carved on the inside of the outer basement door, presumably as they were leaving. And in 1983 the Ryans dated the new raised cement slab they laid for their washer and dryer. I have yet to add my own dates to the house, but when I leave you can be sure the fifth owners will know I was also proud to call this ‘mine’.

There are so many more features, but I am running out of space. The good news for me is that 1930’s type flooring materials, tiles, glass door knobs, cabinets, fixtures, furniture, stained glass, etc, new or old, are all available for future enhancements. Thank you, Internet!

If you are considering making changes to your home please either Google the time period of your house or contact our Society. We would be happy to ponder over your choices with you. Do you wonder who lived in your house before you? Census records are available from 1790 up to 1950 and many old telephone books are also online or at the Indian Valley Public Library in the Pennsylvania Room. You can also search some records on past owners in our area at Montcopa.org. Want to tell us about your special house? Consider writing an article for this newsletter or contact us to set up an interview.

 

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The Souderton-Telford Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of our towns, businesses and residents. Do you have old photographs we can scan for our collection? Or a story to share about growing up in the Souderton-Telford area? We would like to hear from you! Email newsletter@soudertontelfordhistory.org

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