Our house in Somerville, MA was constructed around 1905 in a housing boom. The original design, as with all the neighboring homes, was attractive and rational. Most houses in the neighborhood are similar, with differing flourishes that were offered by the developer to give each house individuality.
Since the early 1900's many horrible things have happened to my house. Until we purchased the house it had been continuously owned by one family since constructed. One family member resided here for almost 70 years and is now deceased. He was the one that did the most harm.
It is rumored amongst the older neighbors that the owner was a master electrician by trade. This "shocks" me since the electrical work in the house is bordering on dangerous.
I can only assume the original owner was a trash-picker by night. Anything he found of value was nailed onto the house with copious amounts of undersized scrounged nails. He would nail a 2x4 joint with 7 or 8 six-penny nails instead of the more accepted practice of 2 sixteen-penny nails.
I spent weeks taking apart the Silence of the Lambs trash catacombs in our basement. I should have tetanus, but I survive to renovate another room.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
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