Couple restores 100+ year old house in Boston-Edison

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-29-13, 02:33 PM

Great story about a young man literally returning to his Detroit roots. If only there were more of these. Why do I keep making typos in the headings? I sure wish there was an easy way to fix that. Should, of course, say Returning.... http://www.freep.com/article/2013042.../1002/business

**bailey** · April-29-13, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Great story about a young man literally returning to his Detroit roots. If only there were more of these. Why do I keep making typos in the headings? I sure wish there was an easy way to fix that. Should, of course, say Returning.... http://www.freep.com/article/2013042.../1002/business

I saw that over the weekend... on my view of the page, the next video was about the mom living in one room of her house due to insanely high levels of lead in her BE house.
http://www.freep.com/article/2013042...oning-children

Total downer on a lot of levels.

**poobert** · April-29-13, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

I saw that over the weekend... on my view of the page, the next video was about the mom living in one room of her house due to insanely high levels of lead in her BE house.
http://www.freep.com/article/2013042...oning-children

Total downer on a lot of levels.

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...n-Edison-house

Anybody remember the star of that article from the 21st century Odd Couple episode we had a while back? Heidi, while not unattractive, doesn't seem to have all her marbles anyway, buying a house in B-E for $30k and getting fed up when it's not in move in condition.

Shollin · April-29-13, 03:33 PM

I read that article and couldn't believe she had the nerve to be upset that someone else hasn't paid to remove her lead based paint. If she wants a house of that size and is updated, go to Grosse Pointe and pay at least 10 times more. That's the cons of buying a Boston Edison house that cheap.

**marshamusic** · April-29-13, 03:38 PM

I will note that the article says "between Boston-Edison and Highland Park".

Which is not Boston-Edison for real.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-29-13, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by marshamusic

I will note that the article says "between Boston-Edison and Highland Park".

Which is not Boston-Edison for real.

Right you are, which makes buying and restoring this house more remarkable. I had not noticed that reference to between B-E and HP when I first read the article. Now I'm really wishing them good luck.

**marshamusic** · April-30-13, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Right you are, which makes buying and restoring this house more remarkable. I had not noticed that reference to between B-E and HP when I first read the article. Now I'm really wishing them good luck.

Yeah; thanks for hearing me. It could be any of those streets - Calvert, Collingwood, Webb, etc;, because there's a lot of difference between B-E and the southern border of HP.

I think that this house is maybe around Calvert, Collingwood. There ARE some beautiful houses there, though the neighborhood does not have the cache of Boston-Edison.

But I suspect that those who are priced out of B-E might spill over into this area, especially if these folks have made this high profile move. I do know folks who moved there years ago and began renovating, so maybe it's time this area had its turn at looking up.

**jolla** · April-29-13, 05:03 PM

I saw the inside of the house [[I did not meet her). That Heidi woman is cuckoo for cocoa puffs.

**MidTownMs** · April-29-13, 09:01 PM

Boston-Edison house once owned by great-grandparents in 1920's was bought by great-grandson for $8,100 now restored after being empty for over 5 years.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013042...s-family-jewel

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**Gistok** · April-29-13, 09:31 PM

Very nice story MidTownMs!!

I wonder if priest Dominic Foley was related to Bishop Foley [[1888-1918) head of the Detroit Diocese.

**MidTownMs** · April-29-13, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Very nice story MidTownMs!!

I wonder if priest Dominic Foley was related to Bishop Foley [[1888-1918) head of the Detroit Diocese.

Isn't there also a Bishop Foley Catholic High School?

**mwilbert** · April-29-13, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by MidTownMs

Isn't there also a Bishop Foley Catholic High School?

Yes, in Madison Heights.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · April-29-13, 09:35 PM

With all due respect, look about 5 posts down for this same article.

**MidTownMs** · April-29-13, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

With all due respect, look about 5 posts down for this same article.

This is not the first time this has happened and I'm sure it will not be the last.

**Bham1982** · April-29-13, 10:23 PM

If you own one of these gorgeous old beauties, how do you go on trips and the like? Maybe I'm paranoid, but a dog and alarm/motion sensor system wouldn't come close to cutting it in this type of hood. Maybe they have friends house-sit?

**Eric_c** · April-30-13, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

If you own one of these gorgeous old beauties, how do you go on trips and the like? Maybe I'm paranoid, but a dog and alarm/motion sensor system wouldn't come close to cutting it in this type of hood. Maybe they have friends house-sit?

While this is certainly a labor of love for this particular family, the answer is the same everywhere: get to know the neighbors. Before you commit, talk to the people all around the property you're considering. People will be frank, but most stable neighborhoods are still stable for a reason; the residents keep it that way and they want and need good new neighbors. Talk to the people up and down the block. Wave whenever you see someone. They'll all keep out an eye just as you'l be doing for them. Detroit neighborhoods truly are neighborhoods and that characteristic is an asset and a tool.

**detroitbob** · April-29-13, 09:46 PM

Same woman who had the squatter issue...

**downtownguy** · April-30-13, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Great story about a young man literally returning to his Detroit roots.

Great story, indeed. And they sound like great people. All the best to them!

**scottn55** · April-30-13, 07:33 PM

For years I've dreamed about doing something like this with the house my grandfather grew up in. It's the red brick two-flat with the gaping hole in the roof next to the University Motel and across the street from United Sound on Second. Unfortunately it abuts I-94 so it's toast when they widen the expressway.

http://goo.gl/maps/BTvbC

**marshamusic** · April-30-13, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by scottn55

For years I've dreamed about doing something like this with the house my grandfather grew up in. It's the red brick two-flat with the gaping hole in the roof next to the University Motel and across the street from United Sound on Second. Unfortunately it abuts I-94 so it's toast when they widen the expressway.

http://goo.gl/maps/BTvbC

Wow, that's a nice house; and right in the thick of that development, too [[not just in the way of 1-94. You know there's talk about about saving Detroit Sound, right? Maybe you could bootstrap onto with that effort.

**scottn55** · May-01-13, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by marshamusic

Wow, that's a nice house; and right in the thick of that development, too [[not just in the way of 1-94. You know there's talk about about saving Detroit Sound, right? Maybe you could bootstrap onto with that effort.

It's a very nice looking house and I'd love to be able to do something with it. I'm just not in the financial position to relocate and restore a home in that condition. It had a beautiful slate roof which was intact until a few years ago. It was kept covered with a tarp for a while but now the hole is exposed [[and enormous) and can be easily seen from 94. I can only imagine what kind of devastation the elements have wrought on the interior. Now if the office lottery pool comes through for me...

**marshamusic** · May-01-13, 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by scottn55

It's a very nice looking house and I'd love to be able to do something with it. I'm just not in the financial position to relocate and restore a home in that condition. It had a beautiful slate roof which was intact until a few years ago. It was kept covered with a tarp for a while but now the hole is exposed [[and enormous) and can be easily seen from 94. I can only imagine what kind of devastation the elements have wrought on the interior. Now if the office lottery pool comes through for me...

Oh dang! I just went through my emails and found this for you:

MAY 2, 7-9 P.M.
MIDTOWN
CASS CAFE
MIDTOWN
Detroit Sound Conservancy [[DSC) originator Carleton Gholz is back in town for the latter part of spring [[after wintering in Boston, where he teaches at Northeastern University) attempting to take this org to another, more active level of social engagement.The first in a series of planned spring-summer presentations is this Thursday at Cass Cafe, 7-9 p.m.DSC ally Isaac Moore, who will be there on Thursday, has been developing a Detroit Wiki page on the history and fate of the United Sound Systems building in the northern end of the Cass Corridor. The big question: is this building preservable as an historic landmark? Or will it be, as so many others musical heritage sites have been, torn down to widen Interstate 94?Participants should check out the Wiki page ahead of the meeting in preparation for a brainstorming session on the future of United Sound Systems [[made famous for sessions by John Lee Hooker, Parliament-Funkadelic and many others) and other similar musical heritage sites in the city. What can the Detroit Sound Conservancy -- or any group for that matter -- do to help preserve Detroit's musical landmarks?On May 9, Gholz will talk about the Detroit Sound Conservancy's oral history project; and on May 16, longtime local music journalist Christopher Handyside will lead a discusion on the legacy of Detroit music criticism.Cass Cafe is at 4620 Cass Ave., Midtown Detroit.

**RickBeall** · May-03-13, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by scottn55

It's a very nice looking house and I'd love to be able to do something with it. I'm just not in the financial position to relocate and restore a home in that condition. It had a beautiful slate roof which was intact until a few years ago. It was kept covered with a tarp for a while but now the hole is exposed [[and enormous) and can be easily seen from 94. I can only imagine what kind of devastation the elements have wrought on the interior. Now if the office lottery pool comes through for me...

scottn55, you should visit the house, maybe you can get inside through an already open door or window, and take some pictures. If you can't save it, at least you can preserve its image.

**scottn55** · May-03-13, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

scottn55, you should visit the house, maybe you can get inside through an already open door or window, and take some pictures. If you can't save it, at least you can preserve its image.

Funny you should say that... I actually drove over there yesterday. The padlock appeared to have been broken off of the front door so I probably could have entered. I'll admit I was chicken, however, and thought it better not to. I didn't want to surprise a squatter or anything! The lower flat's windows have been painted black from the inside so I couldn't see in but some of the devastation to the upper flat [[ceiling collapse etc.) from the roof hole could be seen easily through the upstairs windows.

While I was cruising around I headed north to see if the house my grandmother grew up in [[192 Midland in Highland Park) was still standing. I hadn't seen it in a few years and it was pretty rough then but not vandalized or burned. Sure enough there's only a sandlot there now.