If walls could talk...the sanctity of a home's history.

I thoroughly enjoyed this post and reading all the comments.  My parents built a home from the ground up when I was in kindergarten / first grade or so.  I can still remember the last ceremonial nail they let me pound in on the foyer when we finished framing the house.    I know they let me do other things too...but that really stands out in my mind for some reason.  Most of my memories growing up with my brother and sister were in that house and on the land around it...when I traveled back home many years ago and was driving around town with my old best friend, he offered to go right up to the door and knock on it and ask them if I could take a look at the home.  I was too embarrassed to actually let him do it, but I think I would really have liked to!

Hey BethAnn: You're so right; the homes I lived in growing up hold a lot of memories and special meaning to me as well. My husband and I have lived in our first home for a year now and already I know that it will be difficult to leave it one day.

Have a great day,

Anne Rains

There is a special bond with a home, everytime I visit my old town I often drive by our home where we lived for twenty years. The experience is truly amazing. It's almost like the house remembers you and starts talking. OMG that's scary lol.  Another scary thing would be if walls could really talk. Some I would wish they would shut up.

BethAnn - (love the name it's also my daughters Beth Anne) - love your blog.  I live in an old fishing cottage that was built on weekends by the first owners in 1945 on Timber Lake (look at my blogs and you can see it).  I love hearing the history of houses I sell - I can't ever remember what the "McMansions" look like but boy can I remember the older cottages I showed and/or sold years ago!!!  My clients think it's really funny that I can close my eyes and see the houses - it the house's personality!!!  When my son and daughter-in-law went to our family insurance guy to get the house insured and his assistant was so excited - her dad had built the house and she had grown up there!  I live in an area where there are lots of old houses and stories.  What a fun experience for you!

Kathy Carson - RE/MAX 1st Olympic - Lynchburg, VA

Lovely story.  I grew up in an 8th floor apartment and was glad to move to the suburbs at age 11.  I have gone back, and with so much growth in the city, new roads, need for parking, these places are not what I remembered at all.  We are selling the last home where my entire family lived as a family, and it is pretty sad.

You are so right about homes holding special memories, and that to the previous residents, they're almost sacred.  A few years back I contacted the owners of a home in Calif I grew up in and asked if my son and I could make a brief visit when we were in the area.  The owner was so gracious (she knew me when I was a teenager) and let us walk through every room.  She honored all of my parents' special touches that they had built into the house.  I was amazed to see that even when she replaced some of the draperies, she had them custom-made exactly the same as the original ones!  I'm sure your open house visitors appreciated seeing the home they lived in and will think about it many times in the future.

BethAnn,

I have thought about doing this, "One lived in the home as a young boy".

I too have priceless memories of the home where I grew up. :)

Hi BethAnn,

I love meeting people who have lived in the homes I have listed. It's great to get the history, and hear about their memories.

-Lisa

On Halloween a few years ago, a young man and his kids came to our house.  He had grown up in our home and brought his kids to his old neighborhood to trick or treat. 

Loved the picture of the ruby slippers becasue that really says it without words. 15 years ago the old 1930's house where I grew up was a HUD repo. I remember when we moved to a larger new home in 1959, I was so glad to have my own room and that we moved out of that 'old wreck" of a home. When I toured it as an older and wiser adult the memories can flooding back. My regret is that I didn't buy it and have it as a rental. If it ever comes up, I may try that again, especially if it is a HUD repo! Thanks for the memories. Joe Pryor at www.joepryor.com.

So often I take looking at homes for granted.  Your post is right on.  We have an emotional connection to homes that we have lived in and to experience someone coming back is truly special.  Thanks for sharing your weekend.

You just never know what you can find out about a home. I found the home my mom was born in and had it brought down and restored. When I found it they were using it as a barn.

BethAnn, Great story, thanks for sharing.

Shhhhh . . . my wallpaper is sleeping.  (Sorry, it's been a long day!)

Nice story, and you're right!  I've always wanted to go back to my home (birth to 18-years).  I'm sure everything will feel smaller.

I'd be curious to see one of the homes I lived in in Jackson, MI.  That home meant a lot to me. 

BethAnn I definately agree it was a privledged experience you could participate in and so glad it went well.

As a realtor I've had one such experience with a community member who called and asked if I would take her to visit a property that she knew was for sale.  She said she wanted to visit the home not with an interest in buying it but because she sold it after her husband died there and now 2 years later she felt it would help her put some closure on losing him.  I told her if the seller and the listing agent were agreeable I would be honored to take her to "their" home so she could let it go.  The seller was very coopertive (she had just lost her husband and understood).  She spent an hour and a helf going through the home and afterward said it put her at peace.

I know that every time I went back to where I lived when visiting my Mom I/we always went by the home where I grew up.  Now that my Mom past away last year and I won't be going back there -- I definately miss that opportunity to drive by memories.  I can see that it could also be a dissapointment if you find the property in dissaray and not being maintained.  My husband and I were back in WVA visiting and drove by our previous home -- what a bummer!!  The acreage my husband and I kep in great condition was neglected as well as the outside of the house.  I will never have a desire to drive by again this home that we had sooo many good memories in.  So -- I guess that served its purpose as well.

Sue of Robin and Sue