Another Antique House

[CheckMouse]

I've got to quit buying houses unseen!  

Awhile back my aunt called me, all excited, to tell me about the cutest little dollhouse she was looking at in a thrift store. The lady told her it was very old (obviously), probably around 1920's or so, and she was only asking $20 for it. My aunt (not a miniaturist) thought it was cutest thing she'd ever seen, etc, etc. So I said okay, and she picked it up for me.

Well -- it is old. To that I will agree. And I'm sure some Dad or Grandpa made it with great love for his little Princess.  It started with 2 wooden apple crates, and he added on from there. It is very sturdy; not even a hint of coming apart. The siding is RL siding applied in a ship-lap style, and I don't know what the roof is shingled with - probably RL shingles cut to size. Three of the four floors have linoleum, and one has a fabric carpet. Maybe that was the living room. The windows all had curtains, now very faded and tattered, and the walls are wallpapered. The connecting doors are very short (maybe it was a Mouse House), and the front edges are nicely finished with RL trim.

 

I had relegated it to the loft of my Craft Cottage until I started cleaning out unnecessary stuff, and I tossed all the old catalogs and flyers (not mini related) that I had stashed in it. Then I brought it back down to the main floor and was able to fit it under the stairway on top of a small table. I haven't done anything to it, I kind of like the tattered look of it, and I'm using it as shelving for odds and ends of minis.

 

I was quite disappointed in it when I first saw it, as I was expecting a brand name antique treasure, but the more I look at it the more it grows on me. I don't plan to restore it as a dollhouse, but it is a very nice cupboard, shaped like a dollhouse.

 

 

[havanaholly]

It makes a wonderful old house.

[MiniCrazy]

I think it's quite quaint. The siding and roof aren't that bad and the doors could easily be opened up. It needs someone to love it for sure.

[Dalesq]

It's pretty neat and your repurposing of it gives it new life!

[CheckMouse]

As I look at it a little more closely I have to admire the builder. I could pretty well write a story to go with it ...

 

Picture it ... a West Coast lumber town during the Great Depression ... money is scarce ... little girl wants a dollhouse so badly. Daddy can't put out any money on frivolous items ... breaks his heart to see his little girl so sad.    An idea forms in his head, and Mommy shows him the catalog with pictures of dollhouses ... maybe, just maybe!  He sets to work. Mommy wanted those prized apple crates for something, but she is willing to wait ... there are some scraps of siding left from last winter's work. Mommy gets involved and finds some pretty paper for the walls. They hide their project out in the barn so the little Princess won't see what they are doing. Mommy finds some fabric scraps for the curtains ... some linoleum scraps just big enough for the flooring of three of the rooms, but no more. This piece of heavy fabric will work as a rug for the fourth room.  

The Princess' birthday has arrived, and with unsurpassed joy she comes downstairs to see the beautiful dollhouse Mansion waiting for her.  ... The End

 

Oh, dear!  Now I can never part with this little treasure!!  :hug:

[havanaholly]

That heavy fabric could very well have been the remains of Mom's ratty old winter coat that she just replaced a year or so ago and had been saving for a warm quilt top.

[Sable]

Really a cute little thing. Just be careful with the linoleum. Some of the old stuff has been known to have asbestos in it. I wouldn't cut it or sand it until I knew for sure that it is safe.

[havanaholly]

Really a cute little thing. Just be careful with the linoleum. Some of the old stuff has been known to have asbestos in it. I wouldn't cut it or sand it until I knew for sure that it is safe.

I would carefully remove it and have it tested.

[Roxxie2]

I like your story!   It would be fun to see what you can do with it! 

[CheckMouse]

I had planned to just leave it as is and use the cupboard space. But now that it is talking to me I might have to get more involved. 

That linoleum is in amazingly good shape. I think I could just "mop the floor" and leave it in there. All the fabric is a mess - curtains and the rug.  But why did he make the doorways so short???  It's a 1:12 scale house, and the doors are only 4" tall.  If I do give it a facelift I'll have to decorate it in the 1920's era. Sure wish Papa had put a date on it!!

[KathieB]

Perhaps this is the house the 7 dwarfs moved into when they left the forest for life in the city.

[havanaholly]

Maybe its 1:16 with tall ceilings?

[Sable]

You could turn the doorways into fireplaces.

[CheckMouse]

Well, this little house is just a chattering away, now that it has my attention!  I emptied the stuff out of it that I had stored there, and pulled it out from under the stairwell so I could see it better. It has an attic, with an open window at the front, but it is completely closed. Peeking in with a flashlight I could see something inside it. So of course I had to know what it was! I called DH out to the cottage to help me and we finally got the back wall of the attic off. I can't believe how well made this little thing is! There is an impressive layer of undisturbed dust on the attic floor (cough, sneeze, cough!) and the little unidentified item seems to be a molded plastic table with dishes on top, about an inch and a half wide. Upon closer examination the flooring isn't linoleum after all - it's just paper. So my plan now, when our WA rain lets up again, is to take it outside and just hose it all down. I'll take off the curtains carefully, just for sentiment's sake, and then peel off all the paper on the floors, ceilings and walls. I've taken pictures of it so maybe I can match it, or find something similar. It needs a good cleaning, and I don't think there is one drop of glue in it - but there are dozens of nails!

 

Now if I just had a CSI lab at hand, I could have the nails analyzed and find out how old they are! 

[CheckMouse]

I have started a new album in my gallery, entitled:  The Appleby Cottage.  Sounds classier than "apple crates".  I removed 2 of the pictures from the other album, which is why there are blanks in posting above - can't get back in to edit it, I guess. 

 

Anyhow, this little treasure is getting a major makeover and hopefully will be happy in her new life. I'll keep updating the gallery album as I go.

 

[havanaholly]

That little house is charming.  Perhaps you could enlarge the door opening enough to replace the 4" door with a Houseworks door.  I wonder if part of a third apple crate was used to make the roof.

[Sable]

Good, I'm glad there isn't an asbestos issue. Now I'm concerned about lead paint. Sorry, I was involved with RL construction for 30 years, these things always came up with old materials. Remediation was always a costly concern for me.

[CheckMouse]

That little house is charming.  Perhaps you could enlarge the door opening enough to replace the 4" door with a Houseworks door.  I wonder if part of a third apple crate was used to make the roof.

 

It looks like a third apple crate was used for the interior walls, and probably the roof, also. I have removed the interior wall on the first floor. Those tiny rooms were too hard to work with. But what a job it was to get it out!  I was careful not to damage the doorway - even if it's small, it's a classic. Upon closer examination I see that it was probably shaped with a pocket knife. Rather rough scrapings on the edges, all painted over to look good. Maybe that's why the builder stopped short of a full door size! Too much work!  And I do plan to enlarge the upper doorway. 

 

I placed a few things in the room last night, just to see how it will look - a cast iron cookstove, an icebox, an old table ... and one of my absolute favorite figurines. She's 1:12 scale, but not actually a doll. I'll have to post a picture of her - a black lady in a long dress, holding a Bible in one hand, and the other hand is on the shoulder of her young son, who has his arms wrapped around her waist. I've had this figurine for years and and just love it. She looks so like a pioneer, facing the obstacles, weathering life's storms, never giving up. I think she's perfect for this house.

[CheckMouse]

 Now I'm concerned about lead paint. 

I had not even thought about that!! The paint is in very good shape and I plan to just wash it down and leave it alone. 

[Deb]

CJ, I'm completely enthralled with your new treasure and the life you're bringing back!  I love the storyline and all your ideas for it.  It sounds as if your figurine has finally found a home and you'll make it perfect for her.  Sometimes dollhouses are more like sculptures and works of art rather than the traditional house for dolls and this one sounds like it's speaking that language to you.  I'm so looking forward to all the things you have planned and watching this one come to life!!  

[CheckMouse]

I worked on the little Appleby last night again. Got all the wall and ceiling paper off the upper level.  I also spent quite a bit of time browsing the Internet to try to date the flooring paper, or perhaps the wallpaper. I'm beginning to think this is older than I thought. It is definitely post 1880, because the nails are round, and not sharp-sided like previous nails were made. But it just might be closer to 1900 - 1910.  Has anyone seen the website http://www.mckendry.net ?  A British couple (now deceased) spent years gathering antique dollhouses and information about them. It's a fascinating website and their daughter is keeping it going. Anyway, look what I found on it last night ...

Pretty close!  There are a couple more new pictures in the album, one showing the rough-hewn doorpost. Then I had to pose one picture of the owner of the cottage, stopping by to see how the work is progressing. Isn't she adorable?  Must come up with a name for her.

 

 

[Selkie]

I saw this in your gallery first. I love that you found this new info.

Wonder if this might have been in some handyman magazine around that time.

I think the mother looks like she might be an Amelia and her little boy is Rupert, named after his Daddy who has passed on.

[Selkie]

Thanks for posting that historical website. I had it in my favorites on an older computer and had never been able to find again. I've bookmarked now on this one. Hope I have sense enough to transfer those the next time I have to make a computer change.

[CheckMouse]

After getting all the wallpaper off, I began to look at the attic again. I had already wiped it down, but thought it still looked a bit dusty. So I sprayed some of the vinegar/water mixture on it. "Dusty" was an understatement! It still had a solid layer of gray dirt on it!  I sprayed and scrubbed, and sprayed and scrubbed some more - then stared in astonishment! In large stenciled letters were the words: Ed Hindler Co / Dayton Wash.  I snapped pictures with my phone and uploaded them to my computer - enlarged it on my 20" monitor and finally made it out! (I really don't like those stenciled letters that leave out so much!)   First I checked on MapQuest to see where (and if) Dayton Washington was. It's still there, still small, in Eastern WA about 350 miles from where I live.  Next I Googled "Ed Hindler Co" and that led to an archived file, apparently from City Hall or Chamber of Commerce, in Dayton. It was written almost like a genealogy file, moving along through the history of the town. Many pages down I finally found James Edwards, who moved to the town from TN, worked in the local department store, then bought it when the owner retired. He revamped the store, made a lot of changes, and renamed it the Edwards-Hindler Company - in October of 1906!   I don't expect him to be the builder of the little house, as he was a very wealthy man with a beautiful home - he could buy his children the best of toys. 

 

However, it does add a bit more information.  First: the boxes are not apple crates. I was suspicious of that anyway because all of the Googled pictures I saw of those have slats, and these two have very solid sides.  So they were designed for shipping other merchandise to/from a dry goods store.  Second:  the house was not built before 1906, because that's when the Ed Hindler Co was founded.  It's funny how the date 1906 keeps creeping into this. 

 

So perhaps the builder was someone who worked for the store, and brought the crates home. Or a customer who received some goods.  I like the idea of a worker at the store because these look like they were new when the house was started. There are no marks from shipping, or damage from kicking around a dock or anything like that.

I would love to have found a signature, a name, or a date under the wallpaper, but I still feel like it's a real treasure to find some info on the crates themselves. 

[MiniCrazy]

I would definitely get some good pictures of the printing and either shrink it into a picture frame to hang inside the house or print it full size as documentation to go along side the house when it is finished. Maybe along with a story of how you acquired it and what you have found out about it and more important your made up story of how you think it came to life way back then.