This was an interesting find. When you are pulling apart a house that was built in 1889, you are likely to find some interesting things. I must admit, there haven’t been too many with this latest project. However, the plumbers had reading material in the upper bathroom and left a section of newspaper behind. I was hoping to find some advertising from companies that are still around today, but there weren’t any that I recognized. One interesting ad is for Zimmerman lumber. As it turns out, one of the family members (George J. Zimmerman) was the former mayor of the City of Buffalo.
Zimmerman Lumber Ad from 1919
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Zimmerman Lumber Ad from 1919
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1919 Buffalo Newspaper
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Buffalo Newspaper 1919
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Buffalo Newspaper 1919
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Buffalo Newspaper 1919
When you are doing a renovation project on an older home that has gone through multiple additions, or been converted to a multiple family home, you are bound to find some interesting things.
We are working on a former 2 family home, located in Lancaster NY, that was built in 1889. When we pulled the entry apart to open the staircase back to the upper, we discovered a nice detail under the stairs. This wainscoting could be from 1889, or could have been added during one of the numerous renovations. In either case, it is a terrific stair detail for us to bring back to life.
1889 Stair detail
It is a little strange when you see the first home that you owned come up for sale. My wife and I purchased this house in 1997 and moved from here in early 2003. It was a great old house (built in 1920) and had a lot of space.
This house still feels like “our” house even though the current resident has lived there for longer that my wife and I (and our son for a short while). I suppose when you put a lot of work into a property, you will always feel a connection to it. We did a bit of renovation and a lot of painting (in and out). In fact, most of the paint colors we used remain. The stencils that my wife spent weeks painting as a living room border are still there.
For anyone looking for a home in the Village of Lancaster with a ton of craftsman charm and some classic features, take a look at 30 Park Blvd, Lancaster, NY. Not a Buffalo real estate bargain, but a nice home on one of the best streets in the Village of Lancaster.
30 Park Blvd, Lancaster, NY
