It was March of 2018 when we got the text from our neighbor asking us if we wanted to get together to talk about buying her house. The timing was terrible but the house was virtually in our driveway, access to one of our warehouses was at the end of that driveway. As a neighborly courtesy we’d had a handshake agreement for years that gave us first right of refusal should they decide to put the house on the market. So the time had come for us to make a decision.

Our business lives in the four buildings next to this house. Our smallest warehouse sits right beside it with the large sliding access doors literally accessible only through the driveway to this house; a result of a previous owner of both properties selling them separately. So whoever purchased the house would control access to our small warehouse and also access to the southern wall of our large warehouse, located in the backyard of the house. See where I’m going with this? It was not much of a choice as to whether we would purchase it, it was more a matter of, how are we going to do this?

We toured the house on March 19th, 2018 and by the time we walked out we had decided to proceed with the purchase. We had the benefit of a motivated seller who had an appreciation of our situation with the driveway and adjoining buildings, so we came to an agreement quickly.

What we had not expected was how beautiful the house was inside. Built in 1911 and originally located in Highland Park, the house was moved in 1982 to its present location. Miles of oak and chestnut trim and doors and floors. Huge fireplace with built-in leaded glass door cabinets. Stained and leaded glass windows throughout, coffered dining room ceiling with the original box beam lights, original porcelain wall sconces in all of the bedrooms. Loads of closets, and a lovely vestibule with the original anaglypta wall covering. Each room I walked into I loved the house a little more.

On the downside (and I CANNOT OVERSTATE THIS), the house needed everything, as the last kitchen and bath reno was done over 30 years ago and had not aged well. A houseful of smokers and dogs had turned the floors and woodwork black. And the smell! Cigarettes and dog pee. So OF COURSE WE ARE GOING TO BUY IT!

We did the final walk through on May 27, 2018 and they handed us the keys that day. And so it began, Hamilton House was underway.