Davy Sprocket is on the Road...

[kirbyotronic]

Wow Dave....

Those are some beautiful houses. I'd start collecting them, but that is obviously not going to happen lol.

Here's one of my favorites listed on craigslist, if only I had the money....

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/reb/1481187405.html

 

[normvac]

Rick !

You had mentioned earlier in the thread that you might consider a trip to Ohio one day. You are more then welcome,
as is any one else that finds them selves in the area. I am
2.5 hours drive south of N. Canton and the Hoover Historical center
Norm

 

[luxg]

Dave great pictures. Thanks for sharing them. It's almost like we are on the trip with you!! I'm glad you are having such a great time..

Terry

 

[aeoliandave]

A few teaser panoramic shots of the Wescott House, before I hit the Thrifting road back to Stratford with a stop in Sarnia.

The house was commissioned in 1906 and Burton Westcott, his pregnant wife Orpha and their daughter Jeanne moved in in 1908.

This rear view is to the South toward High St as your come up beside the large rear pasture/yard toward the Garage/Stable. On the left hand side is the Springfield Cemetery grounds and so views from the house take in this vista to the east in perpetuity.

 

[aeoliandave]

A panoramic shot taken from the Cemetery hill from the Stable/Garage to the front lawn. The house and plot are raised considerably above sidewalk level and you begin to appreciate the mass of the structure and it's privacy. The side wall along the Pergola is about 15 feet above the sidewalk but from inside the back yard garden lawn one can look out over the wall through the timber screens; the yard grade is raised.

 

[aeoliandave]

Side view panorama facing the Main Entrance through the gates from the sidewalk. This is the only way to enter the main house from the street. As is the Wright way, one enters a compressed space and climbs a short wide staircase where the ceiling opens above you in a light filled Reception Hall. The effect is most uplifting...

 

[aeoliandave]

panorama from the corner of High St showing front wall of windows. the front lawn is only accessable from the front rooms and is very difficult to reach from High Street unless one climbs across the lawns, shrubbery and reflecting pool (between the massive Urns).

 

[aeoliandave]

Front elevation of the house from High St sidewalk. The house is built right up to the property line at left. The house next door was built in 1911 but served most of its time as a Funeral Home; it is now a privately owned residence again. Thus, the Westcott House has no side yardage to speak of.

 

[aeoliandave]

Wright did not approve of eavestrough piping runs and so each eave has simply an opening and the water drops into a grated recptical below in the lawn and the water is carried away in underground channels.

This is my Tour Guide, Jack, who as I said, lived in one of the 7 apartments as a young lad and stayed 17 years. I'm going to guess that he is in his spry mid 70s.

 

[aeoliandave]

Naturally one is not allowed to take photos inside the house but, well, um....

Sideboard in the Dining Room.

Only open to the public for 3 years now they have yet to produce a glossy coffee table book or even a pamphlet with pictures. But I did buy the 2 disk Centenary DVD which will provide all I need. It documents the Family, the decline of the property and the massive effort to restore the home, which took 6 years and $6 million in private donations. The house is owned and operated by Springfield, not the FLW Conservancy in Oak Park. The 45 minute Tour cost a paltry $12. My Private Tour lasted well over 2 hours and then I wandered the grounds and Gift Shop housed in the garage.

 

[arh1953]

Beautiful!!

What's their idea of not taking pictures indoors? Does it cut into their brochure/tourist folder pictures? It's always great to see a private home that's been cretinized into apartments turn back into private again. Except it would be fun to see the McMansions of the past 20 years to now turned into efficiencies. I mean the "homes" that people buldozed great old houses to create their vision of grand living.

 

[aeoliandave]

Bookcase in the Reception Hall. Other than these two built-ins every piece of furniture is long gone since so much was removed and altered to create 7 separate appartments in all the orpon spaces. The Fireplace Inglenook benches, diningroom table and chairs and the Library table were reproduced from Wright's plans. The Art Glass was all in situ, was removed and cleaned and put back. Decades of paint & wallpaper on wood floors & trim, painted light fixtures ceilings and walls had to be stripped off piece by piece. Open balconys and porches had been walled in to create mini kitchens for the apartments. The pergola timber screens had been removed as well but the Urns survived.

 

[aeoliandave]

Jack explaining that the urns are the largest Wright designed for a residence.

 

[normvac]

Awesome Dave

The pictures and your narative of what changes have occurred are just wonderful. I am excited to see it again. Don't know
why, in the 3 years open. I have been there twice now ! !
Thanks again.
Norm

 

[aeoliandave]

Home Sweet Home at 8:30 PM.

As threatened, I did the rounds of Thrift Shops throughout Toledo and...um...found a few vintage vacuums. By 1PM I was in Ann Arbor and dropped in to see Chad. Lovely catch up visit and chat about this 'n that. Chad had only just finished reading this thread when I walked through the door.

Hey there, Rick and terry. The Universe listens!!!

As i was leaving Chad gifted me a not working well UNIVERSAL electric Coffee Percolator! So Now Stratford Davy's morning coffee ritual is no longer Universally Challenged. Chad says the pot merely gets warm and will not boil. The perc is in excellent condition but for one bastard bolt in the bottom - someone tried to 'fix' it and probably messed up the bi-metal thermocouple setting. I'll get it in tickityboo order in no time.

I decided to forgo J C Penney as I now have the employee discount number for next weekend - worth a daytrip to Buffalo.

So I set the Garmin for Marine City, was on the ferry by 4:30 and in Pete's driveway at 5. There I stuffed last Thrustday's mixers in the formerlly empty - now piled high with a layer of 4 vacuums - back seat and Pete tossed on another layer of a turquoise Compact, the Turquoise Air-Way 77, hose, wands and Attach-a-carrier.

I had no inkling I was gonna be bribnging back 6 old vacuums on this trip. But that's the way the Twingle works!

I will unpack the car on Tuesday so I can inaugurate the new garage door with it's first Vacuum Glamor Shot. Bersides, it's late, dark and cold and The Katz need me, even tho they pretend to not notice I was gone. LOL Sly beasts...

So, here's what's in the back seat, from the right.

 

[aeoliandave]

and from the left.

Two bottom layer vacs are not clearly identify-able. Go ahead and guess. All will be revealed tomorrow in the Garage Shot.

Wow! What a great mini vacation it turned out to be!
Dave.

 

[aeoliandave]

I just checked Streakers's's's's's'sess' profile and I deduce that Steve Brazil, of Brisbane Queensland Australia, is the recipient of the Kirby Turbo Nozzle and his Ohio born mate is Brian.

Unless they contradict me, I am correct and I win...a one on one tour of the Wesscott House in Springfield, 6 cheap old vacuums found at Thrift Stores, A Universal Coffee Percolator and a place to stay in Brisbane if I get to Australia fast enough.

If I am wrong I am not giving anything back, as I have licked them all. LOL

 

[aeoliandave]

Oh I am such an idiot. I didn't have Steve and Brian confused. I had the wrong name (Brian) attached to Craig. I get it now...pardon me/too much amphetamine-spiked Tim Hortons XXX large coffee/I am keeping my lovely parting gifts anyway.

DuhDavy.

 

[aeoliandave]

The very least I can do is correct this souvenir postcard for the guys.

 

[streakers]

WOW!!!

Talk about the most wicked thread I think I've ever read on this site...

Firstly - I must make this short - it's midnight in Circleville - I'm cold and tired - and really need to get some sleep - so I'll make it short...

A huge thankyou to Norm - what a true gentleman and such a generous fellow to open his home to us 'international randoms' to view his awesome collection.

Also to Dave - thankyou for taking pics - I left the camera in the car and really couldn't tear myself away to go and get it! So your pics are the only ones in existence!

Gary - if you read this - cheeky fellow - you certainly were able to bring out my 'dark side' in humour - and had me cackling like an old hen! LOL

Bill in Wisconsin - THANKYOU!!!! I'd have kissed you if you were there!!! What an awesome surprise!!! I promise I'll take good care of the new toy!! Thankyou so much!

Sam - I'll be posting your package at some stage before we leave...

The day was brilliant, it was truly wonderful - even husband 'Craig' (sorry haven't had a chance to read thread yet!) enjoyed himself immensely (he of course looking at the 'architecteure' of the machine builds....).

So - yes - Dave - you got Craig's name right in the end...

When I get a chance I'll put in some more thoughts and comments!!

Norm - have you tried the 'Vegemite' yet?

Anyhow - eyes are closing all by themselves... Take care!