A Little House History

It is very satisfying to come home to a bathroom that has seen real change over the course of the day. Today, all of the tile is placed on the floor and walls. Tomorrow the grout goes in and maybe a toilet (cross your fingers). I am toying with the idea of painting the walls before the guests arrive. Titi called to report that the relatives are going to take their time getting down here to give Felix a break on the road. They will not be arriving until Saturday afternoon.

Last summer, I did a little research on the history of our house. This is what I learned:

The house was built in 1910. The architect was Henry (or Harry) Hartwell Huggins. Huggins was one of the most prolific architects in Roanoke during that time period. He designed both residences and public buildings, including the Fishburn House, the 1st Street YMCA and the Heironimus Building. Mr. Huggins lived and worked in Roanoke for 20 years. He died mysteriously at the age of 47 in 1912. Following his death, it was revealed that he lived a secret double life in Richmond under a different name. He had a second wife and children there.

Our house was built for $6750 by a Norfolk & Western clerk. The original owner sold the house in September of 1914. The second owner lived here until August of 1952. The house then exchanged hands several times to owners who lived her for only a couple years at a time. I think that we are the 10th owners.

Research on this house has since stalled. We attempted to get a copy of the manufacturer's record through our local library, but they sent us the wrong page. I have been trying in vain to locate a copy of the original house plans.

NEWS BREAK: Joel just discovered Theo attempting to eat dirt out of one of our house plant pots. He presented Theo to me with black palms and a gummy grin.