I love old houses. They fascinate me -- especially the ones that are almost falling down, or are empty and deserted.
I look at them and imagine the stories they could tell, if only their walls could talk. So much living has gone on inside those walls -- lots of love, maybe lots of heartache, but I'm sure lots of joy, as well.
There is an especially interesting old house only about a mile from where I live. It faces the highway. A few windows are broken out, and the side door is hanging crooked; but I just know if I could go inside and close my eyes, I could hear voices -- not scary voices, but maybe the echo of a mother calling the kids in to supper and the laughter and shouts of those children at play, maybe a baby crying, then the creak of a rocking chair and a soft lullaby being sung which would slowly drift off into silence.
There is such a sadness to these old, deserted homes. My dream job would be to be able to buy and restore them just as they were when they were new and fill them up again with families -- big, noisy, rowdy families. Those are the best kind, aren't they?
One of the things that draws me to old houses is the weathered look they wear. I would love to be able to make my house look that way. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but I don't care! I have tile in my kitchen; but, if I could, I would tear it up and put down some old green and white linoleum that feels soft on your bare feet, or old wide wooden planks that are worn and smooth from millions of footsteps. And I would paint my cabinets white and antique them. Then I would add modern appliances that were disguised as old ones.
It shouldn't be too hard to make a modern refrigerator resemble an old wooden ice box. And a range that looked like my grandma's old coal oil stove would be perfect. Sounds like a plan!
And screen doors! I mentioned to the hubs the other day that I would like a screen door, and he said he would go out and buy a storm door that had the pull down window, and all the bells and whistles.
I said, "Hold on, that's not the kind of screen I'm talking about! I want an old, weathered, paint-peeling, squeaky screen door like the one that was on my grandma's house!
He is still looking at me kind of funny. But, as you know, I have the perfect front porch for just such a screen door.
I love high ceilings, wide wooden window sills and big old claw-footed bathtubs. I love tall, narrow windows hung with lace and worn braided rugs on wooden floors. I love parlors and stone fireplaces. I love the feel, the warmth, the personality of an old house.
My grandma's house had lots of personality! I'm sure it started out as one room, but other rooms were added on as time went by. The kitchen and screened porch were a step down from the large living room. She had several antique cupboards in her kitchen that I would give my eye teeth for today! There was a sink and an old tin dipper from which everyone drank.
The bedroom was separated from the living room by a curtain, and this room contained an old flue, so at one time there must have been a wood stove there. Under this flue, there was a little cupboard, very shallow, but I used to love looking through it to see what treasures I could find.
And outside there was a chicken house, a pig pen, a smokehouse and a log barn, all ancient, but I loved them. The well was open and about 15 to 20 feet deep, with a high wall around it. I remember us kids dropping bottle rockets down the well on hot July days! They would make a swishing sound, then a muffled explosion would bubble the water! Of course, we got caught and had to pay the consequences, but that didn't stop us from doing it again the next year.
The old barn seemed so big when I was a little girl but, in reality, it was a small building. I remember swinging from the rope that hung from the ceiling and landing in a soft pile of sweet-smelling hay. It's gone now, as is their house and all the other outbuildings, but what I wouldn't give to be able to walk through those rooms or swing from that rope just one more time.
My grandparents' house was a very humble dwelling, but this area can boast of quite a few grand old houses. I know Gentry has a few, and Siloam Springs and Bentonville have a lot. Most of them are still being lived in, which is good.
I enjoy driving through these neighborhoods and taking in all the details of these wonderful old houses, but still my favorites are those that stand empty and neglected. I truly hate to see them lost to disrepair and neglect. If only I were a millionaire!
So if you live in an old house, treasure it, care for it and find out its history if you can. Because, after all, what makes these old houses so special are the memories that were created inside their walls and the people that have passed through them.
If you have any pictures of old houses you would like to share with me, feel free to email them! Happy memories, everyone!
Tamela Weeks is a freelance writer in the Gentry area. She may be reached by email at tamela.weeks@ gmail.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 08/20/2014