Nothing is Plumb Level or Square
Restoration carpenter David Adams animatedly chimes in: "If you want perfectly plumb, level, square, buya new house. An old house is not going to be perfect. What you have to ask is'how much does the imperfection impinge on your life?'" This [... more]
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Touring Historic Cape Girardeau
Born on the Mississippi River more than 200 years ago, Cape Girardeau has evolved from a tiny French trading post into a culturally rich community of about 40,000 residents on what locals describe as the world's only inland cape. Located roughly ... [... more]
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A house restored
After reading through a series of bulletin board postings here at The Old House Web titled, "I want to buy an old house but I am afraid," I felt compelled to offer our story. I'd like to say to those wondering about the risk: The return will be [... more]
Old House Web |
St. Augustine: America's first city
The Gonzalez-Alvarez House, St. Augustine's oldest surviving house Today as in 1917, it's easy to poke fun at a city where so many things are "olde," "oldest" and "ancient." St. George Street, heart of 18th century St. [... more]
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St. Augustine: America's first city (Part 2)
St. Augustine's "Oldest House" evolved from a flat-roofed, single-story dwelling that was built early in the 18th century. The coquina walls in the first-floor room, left, date from that period -- though window glass wasn't introduced until [... more]
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St. Augustine: America's first city (Part 3)
Next door to St. Augustine's oldest house is the Tovar House, which dates to 1763. Used today as a museum for Florida's military, it is restored and open to the public. Though nobody knows exactly when it was built, the Fernandez-Llambias House, ... [... more]
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St. Augustine: America's first city (Part 4)
Henry Flagler, was an industrialist, oil magnate and railroad pioneer. Flagler extended the railroad to St. Augustine in the 1880s -- and promptly began recreating the city as a winter resort for the wealthy. Built in 1888, Flagler's grand Ponce ... [... more]
Old House Web |
St. Augustine: America's first city (Part 5)
St Augustine is about 40 miles south of Jacksonville. To get there by car, take Interstate 95 and follow the signs. Jacksonville International Airport is served by a variety of major airlines, including such budget carriers as Southwest Airlines ... [... more]
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Touring Mr. Lincoln's House
Abraham Lincoln was born and raised in a one-room log cabin; Mary Todd was born and raised in a fourteen-room house. After renting a small house during their first year of marriage, the couple purchased their first and only house. In May of 1844, ... [... more]
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Touring Mr. Lincoln's House: Inside the home today
Since Springfield homes were not numbered until 1873, the Lincolns, like many of their Springfield neighbors, used a front door nameplate to identify their home to visitors. On June 27, 1860, a reporter of the Utica (New York) Morning Herald ... [... more]
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Touring Mr. Lincoln's House: Photos through the years
In 1850, the Lincolns suffered their first tragedy when their second son, Eddie, died just before his fourth birthday. The following year, they celebrated the birth of their third son Willie, and two years later their fourth and final child, ... [... more]
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Touring Mr. Lincoln's House: Ways & Means
At the park's center stands the two-story home of Abraham Lincoln, the only home heever owned. The home was constructed in 1839 as a one story cottage and the Lincolns livedin the house from 1844 until his election to the Presidency in 1861. The ... [... more]
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