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Across the Fence:  The 1840 Bowman House broke my heart  |
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Miss Bee Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
4331 Posts
Janice
Louisville/Irvington
Kentucky
USA
4331 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 10:41:59 AM
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Why do people who value and love old buildings never have the money to save them? This one is in Indiana and is on the National Registry. My bff and I looked at it last Friday. She had seen it online a year ago. It's in rougher shape than we thought. On the second floor, there is a hole in the roof and some floor joists have collapsed from termite damage. The asking price is 59,000 for the house and ten acres with another 30 available. If only I was younger, I might have the courage to take it on. I'll be doing good to finish my poor old 1918 farmhouse...:(
   
   
Farmgirl Sister #50
"If you think you've got it nailed down, then what's all that around it?"
'Br.Dave Gardner' |
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Laura Marie
True Blue Farmgirl
419 Posts
Laura
Rancho Cordova
California
USA
419 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 10:46:23 AM
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Wow, that looks like it could be incredible. I hate it when people let a piece of history go to waste. I wish I could afford and know how to work on something like that! It looks like it could be an amazing and lovely home.
Laura Marie #369
www.lauramariedesign.com
http://countrygirllauramarie.blogspot.com/
"It's not the size of the farm but the size of your heart!"
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 10:51:40 AM
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What a gem - so many traces of elegance. None are made like that one anymore. And it looks like good land, too.
Farmgirl Sister # 31
www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 10:54:14 AM
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It is such a shame, isn't it, Janice? Wonder, what, if any family of the Bowmans' are left? Wonder why they wouldn't want to try to salvage some piece of it. It would be starting from scratch, but honestly, that seems like it would be easier than repairing/removing/redoing someone's remodel from 1940, 1950, 1960, etc...
Don't you just wish walls could talk!
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 11:20:38 AM
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| What a beautiful house...if only I lived in Indiana. Great deal for a house with land included, even if you had to live in a mobile home for the first few years. |
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Miss Bee Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
4331 Posts
Janice
Louisville/Irvington
Kentucky
USA
4331 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 11:33:27 AM
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I agree, Amie. There is a well there somewhere. There is a concrete block structure that held an electric pump(stolen) and still has a tank. And there was wiring done(ca 1920 and again probably in the 70's), the boxes are on the outside of the walls. Somebody could live in a mobile home and work on it. I bet there are grants/loans available. I read in our newspaper yesterday about a historic home in Louisville that got stimulus money.
Farmgirl Sister #50
"If you think you've got it nailed down, then what's all that around it?"
'Br.Dave Gardner' |
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Nancy Gartenman
True Blue Farmgirl
9094 Posts
Nancy
West Seneca
New York
USA
9094 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 1:34:46 PM
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Who were the Bowmans? Yes Its always more then sad to seem these old homesteads go to pieces.
Nancy Jo
www.Nancy-Jo.blogspot.com |
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Miss Bee Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
4331 Posts
Janice
Louisville/Irvington
Kentucky
USA
4331 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 2:15:57 PM
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He was in the Indiana state Legislature and was listed as a 'farmer and businessman'.
Farmgirl Sister #50
"If you think you've got it nailed down, then what's all that around it?"
'Br.Dave Gardner' |
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countrykatgirly
True Blue Farmgirl
186 Posts
Hallie
Jordan
NY
USA
186 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 3:13:54 PM
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I thought I recognized that name. I would have loved to restore an old home like that. With the MS I can't see that happening now. Hope someone can help out and save it.
More on preservation here:
http://www.historiclandmarks.org/Pages/default.aspx
**Farmgirl Sister #622**
“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”
--Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Edited by - countrykatgirly on Oct 29 2009 3:15:22 PM |
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homemom
True Blue Farmgirl
1593 Posts
Ruth
Warwick
RI
USA
1593 Posts |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2916 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2916 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 4:31:49 PM
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Janice
Where is that at in Indiana?
Hubby & I just inherited some land there. |
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Aunt B
True Blue Farmgirl
108 Posts
Terri
Chillicothe
OH
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 9:40:39 PM
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Oh boy - it bring back momemories. We'd been living in Phoenix for 23 years and decided to move back to Ohio. We almost had the house in Phoenix paid off, so we decided to re-finance it and look for a home in Ohio to buy and pay cash for.
We found one on the internet and sent my sister and her husband to look at it for us. They told us to forget it. The house had at least 6 layers of wall paper on the walls, lowered ceilings, wavy floors, and the oldest electric known to man kind.
They told us about a house that was next door to it, for sale also, that looked to be in better shape. They sent us a video of it. It had all the windows boarded up. No one had lived in it for about 3 years. It was built in 1875. It had 4 fireplaces, 2 staircases, a basement with a cellar door outside, a laundry room, wood floors, 3 bedrooms.
We bought it for $38,500. We replaced all the water lines, sewer lines, gutted the kitchen. Stripped paint from the windows, replaced glass, reglazed the windows, primed, painted. Stripped the front porch gingerbread, primed it, painted it, painted the porch floor. Enclosed the side porch to enlarge the half bath.
We have steam heat and we love it.
We still need to strip the floors and varnish them and paint the walls. We put a ceiling fan in the living room, dining room, and kitchen.
We would of have more done, but I fell and tore my rotar cuff, and broke my nose one year. Then needed carpal tunnel surgery another year, then open heart surgery this year. All of this really put the breaks on my creativity.
You can see pictures of it in my blog. I hope I live long enough to see it all refurbished.
Proud Farmgirl Sisterhood #168, Aunt B
http://www.hummingbirdsprings.etsy.com
http://www.hummingbirdsprings.blogspot.com
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2009 : 06:49:02 AM
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Janice - This is where you wish you had the money to save it. Probably the best thing on some thing like this would be to have a archetectual drawing done of the house, pull it apart and number it and then rebuild it. That would cost some money but it could be put on a proper foundation and the timber that is too far gone could be replaced. We have our own old house restoration that we are trying to figure out how to finance the last part of. We love our old house but so much has to be done, that sometimes I wonder if we will ever finish. I am afraid if we sold it as it is now, someone would just tear down the house and build something ugly on the lot.
Maybe someone could start a save "The Bowman House" foundation to help fix this place up.
Anne in Portland, OR
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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Especially For You
True Blue Farmgirl
541 Posts
Tina
Watkinsville
GA
541 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2009 : 07:00:20 AM
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Gosh... Wouldn't it be wounderful if we all live close together we Farmgirls could buy it and work on it together. What a fun project that would be!!
Tina |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2009 : 07:24:25 AM
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I just showed Scott this post and said "Boy, I am would love something like this." and he said "We can find something like that in Texas!!!" OMG!!! My heart went pitter patter. : )
Heather
"Hitch your wagon to a star"
http://somewheredownintexas-heather.blogspot.com |
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Diane B Carter
True Blue Farmgirl
1270 Posts
Diane
Blasdell
N.Y.
USA
1270 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2009 : 08:57:43 AM
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I would love a place like this if I had a whole lot of money and then I would hand it over to the kids doing heroin & drugs that are trying to get clean and tell them if they fixed it up they could have a room there as long as they were clean. Insurance I think would kill the project. But I think it would be a good idea.
Hope all your days are Sunnydays.
dianebcarterhotmailcom.blogspot.com |
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electricdunce
True Blue Farmgirl
2544 Posts
Karin
Belmont
ME
USA
2544 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2009 : 08:58:50 AM
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My heart always goes out to the old abandoned farmhouses. You wonder what happened to the families who lived there, how they came to be parted from their homes. I always enjoy your photographs....
Karin
Farmgirl Sister #153
"Give me shelter from the storm" - Bob Dylan
http://moodranch.blogspot.com
http://domesticnonsense.etsy.com |
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queenofdreamsz4u
True Blue Farmgirl
3845 Posts
Stephanie Suzanne
Smoky Mountains Tennessee
USA
3845 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2009 : 8:22:09 PM
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Hey Janice,
It's so sad to see these *old gals* in disrepair. When I was younger all I did was restore different homes...there's just nothing better than an old home brought back to life the way it should be....the spirits before you can ramble in comfort again...hehe 
So many people that want to do these restorations do not have any skills themselves and have to depend 100% on carpenters and that is very very expensive....so *sigh* I suspect there are so many more like this that will never be restored.....but when I do see someone jumping in to restore one I jump for joy. There is grant money for some restorations but it's a fulltime job..I've know several folks that received the grant money...there were more meetings with the local historical society than you can imagine....everything has to be restored back just the way it was when it was built.
Happy Halloween to all!!
See my PiNk Halloween Post ....www.queenofdreamsz.blogspot.com
 Queen of Dreamsz ~ keeper of dream kingdom
* * * * * * www.queenofdreamsz.blogspot.com * * * * * *
"Imagination is more important than knowledge"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Albert Einstein ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ |
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Miss Bee Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
4331 Posts
Janice
Louisville/Irvington
Kentucky
USA
4331 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2009 : 06:33:13 AM
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Lisa - The Bowman house is in(or near) Salem, In. Terri and Anne - I sure relate to you both. Right about now, I'm just hoping and praying that my old house will be at least partially livable next June when I plan to quit work and live there full time(then finish the house). Stephanie - I admire you and envy your strength for working on multiple old houses! :) This is the only one I've got in me. LOL! And it sure would be great if a few like minded farm girls could buy something like this and restore it. We've got the strength of will and the 'stick to itiveness' to get any job done.
Farmgirl Sister #50
"If you think you've got it nailed down, then what's all that around it?"
'Br.Dave Gardner' |
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Carol Sue
True Blue Farmgirl
4033 Posts
Carol Sue
Washingtonian
USA
4033 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2009 : 3:31:09 PM
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Janice, wow is that a cool ole house, yep live in the wrong part of the country now don't I!!!!! But alas, you need funds as well. Here is hoping someone that can afford it and has the gumption to do it come along.
Wow, girl, June is not that far away for you to get to move in. Been thinking of ya.
www.Quitemoments.blogspot.com |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2009 : 3:47:06 PM
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I see alot of potential in that old house. Just beautiful.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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paradiseplantation
True Blue Farmgirl
1277 Posts
julie
social springs community
Louisiana
USA
1277 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2009 : 12:44:29 PM
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Only we farm girls could see all the potential in that house. My dh would see it as kindlin' -- I would see it as a jewel in the rough, and wouldn't be able to wait to get started on it! Wow, I love it! I'm with you, Tina. I really wish your idea was possible!
from the hearts of paradise... |
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Across the Fence: The 1840 Bowman House broke my heart |
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The 1840 Bowman House broke my heart
