Almost nothing makes my heart sing more than someone telling me they’re interested in old houses. Maybe they live in one, grew up in one, want to buy and rescue one, or turn one into their dream coffee/book/thrift shop with podcast studio and artist workspace.
A question I often get is, how do I become a preservationist? Well, my friend, there are many paths. The place to start is in your own, deep soul…and a quiz!
You might be an old-house person if….
Your first thought when entering this interior is:
A. Those ceiling heights are going to make it really hard to heat.
B. It’s covered in lead paint, so it all has to go.
C. “Oh, God, look at that mantle!”
A. You think, who needs a dining room?
B. You love the toile and barn wood combo.
C. You’re DYING to know if there’s original plaster underneath the existing wall and ceiling finishes.
A. All those balusters make you dizzy.
B. You’d really prefer a ranch.
C. You will spend hours going down rabbit holes to find out what those little trim details are called (they’re “corner keepers”).
Asphalt is:
A. Just like slate.
B. The best we can do in the 21st century.
C. Going to fail sooner than later so presents an opportunity to plan for a more traditional, longer-lasting roofing material (like slate).
Okay, last one…
A. That ugly brown tile around the fireplace would look much better painted charcoal gray.
B. On second thought, let’s just gut it.
C. Oooooooooo…POCKET DOORS!
A few more clues:
The windows are painted shut, with single-pane wavy glass and broken ropes. You would make yourself a human barrier against any contractor who said you should rip them out.
When visiting a house for the first time, you spend a disproportionate amount of time in the basement.
The smell of mouse pee and mildew screams “ADVENTURE!”
Congratulations – you are officially a preservationist. Now, go out there and find your dream house…project…organization to belong to. There’s a whole world of us ready to welcome you with open arms.
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AUTHOR KATE WOOD grew up criss-crossing the country in the family’s Volkswagen Bus, visiting house museums, battlefields, Main Streets, and national parks. Today, she is an award-winning preservationist, real estate broker and principal of the full-service historic rehabilitation consulting firm, Worth Preserving. Kate believes in the essential value of old-building stewardship to sustain community character. For her, each property is a cause and each client a fellow advocate. She specializes in matching people with properties, skilled contractors, historic tax credits and other benefits to support top-tier rehabilitation projects.
