Ecdysiast

Ecdysiast - (n) A striptease performer.

Pretty sure you get where I'm going with this post now that we've gotten that out of the way and cleared up any head scratching and Dictionary.com scrambling that may have been going on. 

4 layers.

4.

That's what we're contending with on the wainscot in the bathroom, but we're slowly and steadily combating this by spraying on our favorite citrus-based non-toxic stripper and waiting 24 hours for it to eat through and loosen the layers, then scraping carefully. It's going to take some time and a nice hard toothbrush to get through the stuff stuck in the grooves. So far it looks like the stain is holding up, but I doubt it'll survive the bath I have to give everything to 86 the residue left over. It's a sticky mess right now and I'm not super fond of it - but I'm loving the results.

Such a beautiful mess being made. Can't wait until the paint is gone and we're back to sealed wood goodness!

Pretty sure that's the last photo you guys will see of the bathroom until the project is finished. I know you just love all the construction photos - promise that there will be more as we move on to other projects.

In other news... We're rewashing ALL the wood work with LeadOff... Again. This time we're following up with mineral spirits, cleaning up paint botches of the past, and sealing with polyurethane. It's a seriously necessary process and is taking a bit of time because we seriously live in the land of black walnut and tiger oak goodness. So worth it. So very very worth it. Means we'll be stepping up our weekly wipe downs with Old English wipes. Downstairs floors will be sealed as well. Lord knows they desperately need it.

Good thing I have family right across the street that we can invade while all this dries!

Eight Days Later...

The one thing one must keep in mind when painting plaster is how thirsty it is. Even with a couple layers of paint (purple and white that I know of) the walls in the main bathroom are/were very very thirsty.

Another thing to keep in mind is that red paint is not very user friendly and requires tons of working during the drying process in order to keep it even/streak free/ and blended.

Those two facts combined meant that the bathroom took two gallons of "one coat" paint/primer to accomplish perfection. I still have to finish my corners and I'm trying so hard to ignore the stubborn lighthouse border around the top... It wouldn't come off for love nor money and as such it has been decided that it will be covered with a rather elegant crown moulding... In gold... And stenciled with the Kabuki and the Onyx for a rather divine raised appearance unless I choose to do raised stenciling anyway... Which I just may because the good Lord knows that I'm rather extra like that.

Ignoring the bright blue ladder, the walls are just about complete. Crown moulding will cover the impossible to remove wallpaper border.

However, what I have noticed, is that even with having thirsty walls the black paint for the ceiling has gone on far nicer and will be done in two coats. Coat one is currently drying and from there the chandelier shall be hung with care and of course the crown mouldings will be painted and installed in due time.

The stripping and re-staining of the wood work is underway as well... I have words for the people who painted it. They aren't friendly. I'll never fully understand what the hell people are thinking when they decide to paint over stunning historical wood work. It's just... Unnatural.

In other news...

One of the bedrooms is painted... The ceiling will require painting as well and will be happening in short order, but for right now I'm celebrating the covering of walls that were meant to be white but became the hue of dehydrated urine thanks to excessive smoking and exposure to nicotine.

The top is the color we started with - the walls were white at one point before years of tobacco smoke destroyed the paint. You can see the blue we've covered it with as a comparison. 

We used a rather powerful paint in that room so we're hoping the tar stains don't bleed through. If they do? Pissed off me will be pissed off and I'll likely look into textured silk papers... Which just sounds divine and yet terrifying because it'd be going into the room of a 4 year old.

Might just be easier to repaint - he's requested clouds and a water mural to go with his pirate ship bed. Like I said... We're allowed to have fun with this. Not ever room needs to be dripping with historical integrity. I'll have my silk damask and flocked paper in other areas, don't you worry.

His woodwork, as well as the woodwork downstairs, will be re-sealed this coming weekend as well.

The main hall upstairs is fixing to be painted as well. It will be dark and dramatic and just... Well... Everything. The goal is for a metallic stenciled frieze to accompany unless we decide to hit it with crown moulding as well. Either way... Period sconces will like the hall for ambient lighting and the original floors will be restored and protected with period correct runners.

So yes... Summer is a very busy busy time here at the Greensfelder. Each project is handled with care and tons of research as we continue on as urban archaeologists making educated decisions and implementing them. Once the majority of this work is done, there's going to be tons of shopping to do. Lucky me... I know a local expert who loves this house and can find me pretty much anything and have a mother who's the Queen of Wallpaper... And she restored more of these old homes than I can shake a stick at.

Just wait until you see what we have in store for the entry way.

Un Peu de Magie de Salle de Bain!

Bathroom before. Note that gorgeous tub!

The bathroom project is well underway. The inside of the tub was refinished and encapsulated by J&J Bathtub Refinishing out of Kokomo, Indiana and ohhhh is it grand! We've decided to have him come back and refinish the outside of the tub as well as it's just easier to let a professional restore this tub completely while we move onto bigger and more intense projects within the home. That said, the exterior of the tub will likely be black and stenciled with Victorian floral designs in gold or dark brushed brass for a very subtle finish. The brass of the claw feet will be restored to bright shiny brass! 

Just today we began transforming the walls and covered it with coat one of two of paint! The walls are Kabuki red and once we're finished with the final coat and and we've let it dry, it will be taped off with frog tape and we'll be stripping the multiple layers of paint off the wood work and restoring its deliciously beautiful dark staining which will be completed and topped off by a black ceiling and dark brushed brass and black lacquer fixtures.

From there 5" crown mouldings will be installed adding a pop of white and decorated with the same floral stenciling on the tub done in Kabuki and gold/brass. Pretty sure the interior of the linen closet will be red... or maybe black... or maybe white... Hard to decide. It has the original built in drawers in it as the room would have been a dressing room. There's a water closet the next room down the hall so the toilet was an addition to this bathroom and we're torn between 86ing the water closet in favor of a large shower room or moving the toilet out and returning this bathroom to it's former glory completely. Hmmm... Decisions... Modern convenience or historical accuracy... 

Anyway...

We have a gorgeous antique crystal chandelier that will be installed and we are hunting Victorian candle sconces and various bits of wall art to really complete the rich, swanky bordello feeling. It's all about relaxation... And a bit of an homage to the fact the home was a brothel at one point. I personally can't wait to lay in a hot steamy bubble bath on a cold, snowy night with the candles lit and a wonderful glass of Gewurtzraminer from the People's Winery right here in Logansport... And maybe a good book. Yes. The book is a must.

The future is holding such wonderful things.

By this time tomorrow paint coat #2 will be done and we'll be painting our eldest son's bedroom a soft sky blue because boy. He'll likely wind up with a sea-themed wall mural as a break from the antiquity because boy and child. We gotta have fun with this too, right?
Regardless... The dinge and grime we couldn't fix, for love nor money, by scrubbing... Is buh bye. Finito. 

Coat 1! Coat 2 will even it all out! Praise the painting techniques Eric learned in the Navy!

I swear the feel of the bathroom has changed dramatically. The red brings out the terra cotta/brick tiles in that magnificent mosaic floor! Speaking of the floor, it's going to get a super deep professional clean to pull out the dirt all of our cleaning just can't seem to touch and then it will be sealed. 

The upstairs main hall is most likely going to go a very dark smoky purple with gold leaf frieze and period correct sconce lighting. We haven't decided quite yet - but the idea of that degree of drama and majesty is just begging to be brought to life.

I love this old mansion and I love how she seems to become more and more happy and alive with each and every project we start and complete. She's downright giddy right now and we intend to keep her that way. Yes... She's a HUGE undertaking, but we have learned that if we stare at the forest instead of focusing on one tree at a time, we're immediately overpowered and feel very overwhelmed. If we focus one one project at a time then we're quite content and find it easy to contend with. That's what this house needs; vision, scope, and heart. We have tons of it and lots and lots of love as icing on that amazing cake.

Speaking of projects...  permits have been pulled on the porch. The delay in progress is due to the local Ford dealership royally messing up the turbo on our truck to the point where she's routinely blowing her hot-air turbo boot. She's headed to a master mechanic on Thursday and once she's back we'll feel comfortable loading her with the 4000lb jacks, concrete block, stone, rebar, quickcrete, metal lathe, and lumber necessary to complete the project. We're really grooving here at the Greensfelder and are sincerely hoping to open the main parlor for Christmas stories this holiday season!

Stay tuned for an update once the bathroom's magical transformation is finished!

Another 5 months between posts... Shameful, I know. A lot has been going on within the Greensfelder's little world and more will come about in due time... Like this week.

The front porch is being restored. After a lot of back and forth and irritation galore, we have decided to do the porch on our own. It doesn't take a rocket scientist and Eric IS an Engineer (so what if his degree is in electronics engineering!) and knows his way around wood work and construction. We'll be renting several support jacks to hold the roof up as we pull the pillars down, replace a couple plinths that are damaged beyond repair, and reconstruct the bases.

The bases will no longer be wood. 

That's right. No more wood bases. They will be stone bases and the stone is from a local quarry outside of Kokomo, Indiana. The original Tuscan style columns will remain and will be sanded and re-painted to match what will soon be the new exterior paint scheme. The wood planks on the porch will be replaced in favor of wide plank. The decision as to whether or not to paint them with water resistant maritime grade paint or stain and seal them is currently still in debate. Of course the balustrades will match the paint scheme. All in all? Gorgeousness.

The steps, a huge part of contention, will be removed and replaced likely with flagstone steps and the secondary staircase will most likely disappear in favor of a full landscape renewal unless we decide to do a smaller garden path to those stairs (though I see little merit in doing so). The concrete pathway will be gone as well in favor of stone and eventually the entire front yard will be leveled out, surrounded by a stone retaining wall topped with a wrought iron fence complete with garden gate a top the steps leading into the yard from the sidewalk. There will be period correct lighting and the current porch lights will be taken down and fully restored to their former glory. Expect hanging baskets full of flowers and bunting to suit as well.

Many of you may have seen the front garden. Though sparse, the bright display of color this year was a sign of things to come and we are patiently awaiting the bloom of 70 gladiolas as well. After they fade, the front walk will be attended to as those bulbs have to be removed for winter anyway and we figure we'll let them shine for the summer before changing anything.

One of the first bearded iris blooms of 2018

Next year you can expect so much more... Close to 100 additional gladiolas, the iris beds in back will be moved to the front, more tulips, more alium, more hyacinth, additional displays of daffodils, crocus, dahlias, hostas, peonies... Yes. Just yes.

Inside... Well now. We are VERY excited and pleased to announce that we are working with historic restoration design firms out out of Chicago, IL and Glendale, CA on getting the Greensfelder's mouldings, ceiling designs, and frieze work back to what it should be and once was. Everyone agrees that with ceiling heights like these, there was more than just the work in the parlor and the couple plaster ceiling medallions that remain. The consensus is that there was likely mural work as well, which there IS evidence of.

We have four samples coming within the next week from Chicago and Glendale is studying room layouts and ceilings before making any additional suggestions - however - the one suggestion they have made for the dining room is INCREDIBLE, ornate, and will be the talk of the town. Absolutely magnificent!

Other goals this year? Fireside parlor readings of Christmas stories this coming holiday season!

Christmas blessings

We had our first ever white Christmas in the Greensfelder. 6 inches of snow fell Christmas Eve and really turned the entire town of Logansport into a little patch of absolute heaven. There's nothing more beautiful than walking outside on a snow covered, sunny Christmas morning to feed your chickadees and cardinals to the tune of church bells tolling through the quiet winter air. It was very much like the opening scenes to a Disney epic.

But it brings me now to the knowledge that 2018 will be even better, that we have so much to do, so much to look forward to. We all know that even the best laid plans get messed up, but we can only hope and we have to be in it to win it.

Regardless... Here are the house plans for 2018;

• Knocking out the back porch when the thaw comes. Rebuilding it as a stone seating area complete with outdoor fireplace, running a deck off it along the back elevation of the house. Koi pond going in where the Iris beds currently are. Irises will be moved to the front. Anyone wants a turn with a sledgehammer? We'll have beer and BBQ. You bring muscle. Aiming to have everything finished and ready for a 4th of July party.
• Rebuilding front porch, lifting/leveling entire front yard through creation of stone retaining wall topped in period correct wrought iron fencing. Lovely gate. Proper planting to ensure gorgeous and dramatic front yard. Right now there's an IMPRESSIVE array of bulbs and lilies planted along the front as well as a small rose bush that we found. It appears to be a climbing variety... We'll need to preserve and protect her while not letting her continue vine damage that has already been inflicted to the current porch.
• Redo entire exterior. Buh bye asphalt shingles, hello proper clapboard with gorgeous paint.
• Garage is being torn down and rebuilt to become a stone 3 season studio, but a winter "habitat" for the Vindicator (our beastly land yacht; Ford F350). Current garage has serious structural issues and is too short/narrow to house the Vindicator. Studio will include a kiln and materials necessary for me to cast the effects I need to restore the exterior ginger breading.
• Tree removal (my heart breaks) of very very sick old Maple that must go. She's easily as old as the house, but she's rotting away :/
• Possible gravel driveway going through from Market st to alley (conversation with the city happening shortly) on East side of the house.
• More landscaping.
• Bathroom will be COMPLETELY remodeled. I already got a STEAL on a hand cut crystal chandelier that will be hung. Tub is being resealed, wood work stripped of paint and restained/sealed. Work has begun. Paint chosen. Expect photos soon.
• Kitchen... Flag stone floors, cabinetry to to match the original wood staining through the house. Painted wood to be stripped, stained, sealed. Center aisle to be resized, new top to go in (torn between sealed/poured concrete or butcher block... Leaning towards concrete). Center aisle will boast 6 burner gas range. Paint scheme has been chosen.
• All floors to be sealed/restored/finished
• Did I say more landscaping?

And more... So... So much more.

I'm blessed that most of this can be done us. It pays to have some serious know how. Bigger projects are being farmed out to local contractors - so far no one seems  to be taking a bite on it... Thanks to the previous owner who ran up plenty of contractor liens and debts. It'll get done no matter what... If local sources don't want the pay day, we'll find someone out of Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, or Chicago that specializes in restorations. Your recommendations are ALWAYS appreciated!

"I did not celebrate the repeal last night..."

The other day it was snowing. The first accumulating snow in Logansport for the 2017 - 2018 Winter Season and we, predictably, spent the day inside by the fire. My mother and sister have moved into town with my nephew, taking up residence at a historic late period Victorian across the alley way and that snowy day was perfect for roasting a couple chickens and inviting everyone over into one place to just try and relax and play catch up. Of course... Things are never that simple when it comes to the Greensfelder. She has a mind of her own that I often attribute to one of her more prolific owners of the past. She whispers things to you, both grand and bizarre, and you'd be wise to listen. So far she's been slowly revealing her secrets like the sea reveals shells and bits of coral and things... But these secrets are hardly simple flotsam. They're treasures. Old coins, depression glass play tea sets, a vintage Paul Revere candle holder by Avon, a book on hallucinogenic plants hard bound, second addition, vintage... Oddly expensive (found under a radiator, no less), and now... This.

For some reason, the untouched ballroom, left in shambles as a storage area, called to us... And we listened. It was oddly warm up there even with the high only reaching the mid-twenties and it blowing snow outside. Very very warm, actually... Just testament to how wonderful the architecture of old really was. Anyway... We found things. We've only just barely scratched the surface, but we found things. Wondrous things. An old rocking chair, a matching baby cradle, tons of old Victorian Christmas decorations, clothes from the 1950s, photographs from the 50s, feminist movement paraphernalia (DOWN WITH NECKLINES!), match books from when that prolific old owner ran for office, a laundry list from the "Habana Hilton" pre-embargo Cuba, a wedding invitation meant to be mailed to Mr Rock Hudson (yep... THAT Rock Hudson), postage already on it, vintage dolls, lanterns, clocks, milk glass produced by Indiana Glass, more depression glass... Lord the list goes on and on...

But this... This stands out most of all; a telegram from Chicago dated 12/06/1933, the day after the repeal of prohibition (and talking about how the prohibition didn't affect anyone anyhow ;) ), sent back to grandma Greensfelder herself at the height of the great depression... Proving that even they weren't impervious to its wretched grasp.

It's my honor and pleasure to share it with you, this incredible glimpse into history;

In the words of Indiana Jones; this belongs in a museum. I plan on bringing it down to put on loan at the Cass County Historical Society in the New Year after I get a chance to show the other ladies on the board of the Logansport Historical Preservation Commission when we meet in early January. This is one of those once in a lifetime things and we all deserve a brief reminder of why we save these homes and buildings from becoming parking lots and apartments.

I wonder what new treasures will be uncovered as the snowy Hoosier winter continues and the house remains warm and happy enough to whisper sweet nothings in our ears as we continue to love her.

PS: The ornaments we have recovered are now on our family tree, and I swear I felt the house sigh in happiness. There was such an overwhelming sense of completion and contentment. I'm happy you're happy, old girl.

Strap Wrenches and Other Tools

If there's one thing that can be said about today's society, it's that everyone has an opinion. Luckily, this great nation leaves everyone free to express that opinion, and others - and everyone else is equally as fortunate to be able to express their discontent with those opinions. However, Newton's third law applies to a lot more than just physic - it applies to social situations as well. For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction, and I find it strange that people will expect others to simply take it when they go out on a limb to be negative and downright hateful. It's simply not in our nature as a species to do so, and I'm certainly no exception to that rule. I'm no angel, never claimed to be and, as such, I didn't turn the other cheek when someone made a snide remark about the Mansion. And yes... I capitalize the word mansion, why? Because the house has her own personality and has earned the right to be considered her own entity.

A "gentleman" found it pertinent to inform me that, in his opinion (which he considered to be fact), the Mansion is the town's biggest eyesore, problem, looks abandoned and needs to be torn down. That's great. I'm of the opinion that he should be torn down. Now... Before you go off saying that I'm inciting violence, simmer down. I'm saying that people like him, with his opinions, should be shut down and kept at arm's length from projects of grandeur like the one pioneered to restore the Greensfelder. These are the caliber of people who have no vision and no respect for the history of this nation... Or this world. Chances are they'd see a French chateau in disrepair and abandonment and say that it needs to be torn down as well... That it's an eyesore. Doesn't matter that it may have been King Louis XIV's private hunting escape or the fact that, like the Greensfelder, it's structurally stable and simply rough from the outside. Unlike the majority of those abandoned chateaus, the Greensfelder is sound inside as well.

I'll digress, however, she's rough from the outside. She has horrendous asphalt shingling as siding, peeling paint, and some areas of rotting wood from where the downspouts came off. We've already addressed that the back porch is a gross addition that was obviously never finished... Or if it was, someone was restoring it and they failed... Miserably. Read the update below and you'll see that we've already taken measures to begin work on the entire rear elevation of the home. We're also well aware that the front porch DOES need to be replaced and updated. We're already taking rails down to eyeball their construction, strip them, and bringing them to wood workers to see if missing and badly damaged ones can be replaced and their less damaged sisters duplicated to fill that void. Why? Because history, nostalgia, and accuracy. That's why. It's a tireless and thankless job that takes people with vision and a deep love of history to perform. It's not for everyone, and certainly not for those who would rather bulldoze 116 years worth of history simply because the current exterior is an "eyesore". If we did that, than 90% of all old homes would be gone, including properties of far greater historical significance than the Greensfelder.

That said, this wonderful fellow must not drive past when there's dozens of packages on the porch, or the mail lady is stuffing our mailbox full of letters of support and catalogs and contracts from various architectural suppliers. Of course, unless he's hiding the secret that he graduated from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and happens to have x-ray vision, he's not seeing the hours spent toiling away on stripping, painting, cleaning, relaying floors and tirelessly working to fix that which was neglected and broken. He doesn't see my husband and I standing in the foyer and figuring out correct lighting and how to best preserve and repair the wedding cake details on the ceilings. He's not there to pick the crown moldings that will be going up or paint schemes or which runner will adorn the stairs.... Or will there be a runner?

My point to all this rambling? Unless you're going to be useful and offer useful critique and suggestion, please sit down. We need all the tools we can acquire, but a strap wrench (the most useless tool in the entire box) isn't one of them. Don't be the strap wrench.

As always, I'm going to plug our GoFundMe account so that people far and wide can reach out and assist the preservation of history. You can find it by clicking right here.

the "Eyesore"