Old House Unveilings

Old House Unveilings – What a concept!

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While I’ve blogged on the concept before it’s likely a completely foreign concept to many people. Perhaps most.

I’ve talked about communities like Elgin Illinois where they’ve been doing this for years. I’ve mentioned Rock Island Ill too, where Elgin got the idea from and where they’ve been doing this for about 17 years now. They’ve gotten to the point where they don’t do it so much any more as they’re running out of candidate home to unveil.

I just heard about an old house unveiling in another community, Hannibal Mo, home of Mark Twain, population ~ 17k.

What’s an old house unveiling? It has some similarities to an old fashioned barn raising whereby neighbors and the community come together to uncover an old house that’s been cloaked for years by unoriginal siding.

This example in Hannibal MO while recently uncovered is still incomplete in its restoration. All the same you can see where this is going. And you can likely see the potential the owners are striving to regain.

I would imagine that such an undertaking and the fear of the unknown would give most people pause. Quoting Bob Yapp, historic preservation consultant…

Under the replacement siding we usually find excellent clapboard, trim, decorative wood shingles and all the wonderful textures these materials bring to the look and feel of an old house. Rarely have I seen an unveiled house that needed more than 5% to 7% clapboard or trim replacement.

Which is not to say there’s not a lot of work to be done. More, that it’s not as scary as you might imagine and not more then a motivated home owner with some vision (and some wallet) can manage. As far as wallet goes though, such an undertaking is not without its benefits. Again as Mr. Yapp was told on his TV show, “About Your House with Bob Yapp”…

I meet a lot of appraisers across the country and they’re telling me they add value to older homes with original, well-painted, wood siding and trim. “Bob, your right on that. It’s important that owners of older homes go with the original character and warmth of the era the home was built. When buyers are out there looking for older houses, they’re looking for original siding and trim,”

~ Iowa & Illinois appraiser, Dick Koestner.

I imagine some might see this as counter intuitive. And again Mr. Yapp on Old House Unveilings...

So why remove that so-called “maintenance free” replacement siding? Throughout the 20^th century, the first sign a historic neighborhood is in decline is when replacement siding starts going up. It is a clear indication that people are no longer willing or able to maintain their homes.

Indeed there have been some individuals who’ve uncovered their homes here in Beloit. With a little encouragement and community support perhaps there may be more. Not only is the change dramatic for the individual home. It can likewise be a catalyst for that street. The neighborhood benefits which is why the community turns out.

• - Old House unveiling in Rock Island IL.
• - Old House unveiling in Elgin IL.
• - Old House unveiling in Hannibal MO. (click on photos to enlarge)
  

Kids Fun and Drama – KFAD

Beloit’s Music and Acting Troupe for Kids.

This is an AMAZING program. We’ve know of KFAD and the kids have participated. I didn’t know they have a website. Cool!

And…

[feigned shocked vocal tone]

They practice and perform right here in our neighborhood! Our kids can walk or ride their bikes to participate. Keep the car in the garage folks.

So anyway,

Spring Production in the Works

The next KFAD production has been cast, and the kids are already hard at work learning their songs and lines. This Spring’s show is The Return of the Glass Slipper, a funny update of the Cinderella story. The shows are scheduled for April 17–19. The performances on April 17 and 18 are at 7 PM, and the matinee on April 19 is at 2 PM. We hope to see you there!

I’ve put this on the NPA calendar as well.

Beloit NPA Committees (draft)

From our last meeting it was resolved to divide up the various ideas proposed to date into a fewer number of broader classifications. This might make it easier for those interested in helping out on something of particular interest to ‘group up’ with others within a committee.

Several of the ideas proposed span more then a single classification or could easily fit into a different grouping. Additionally, some ideas could be spit off into an additional committee either individually or with other items. Open to suggestion. Items are in no particular order.

Proposed:

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