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.

**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.

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

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

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

Same woman who had the squatter issue...

**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.

**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.

**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?

**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.

**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.

**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.

**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.

**RickBeall** · May-01-13, 01:08 PM

**SWMAP** · May-01-13, 01:27 PM

My house in SW Detroit is nowhere near as nice as your Grandmother's house. Its just a little frame house. The nicest ameenities that I found when I moved in 30 years ago were the pocket doors to the front room and a little scullery with a an original farmhouse sink. The bathroom had been cheaply modernized in the 1970's.
I have put a good amount of money into the house - a brick walk, a restored porch, and a pretty kitchen [[saving the sink from a landfill) and a very pretty but simple new bathroom with subway tile and marble. It is my intention to honor my house and make the neighborhood better for my having been here. No one else is doing the same around me - but okay.

I looked up the original owner of my house and tracked down her grand-daughter-in-law. I know that Margaret was born in Ireland and widowed young by a railroad accident that took her husband when he was employed by the rairoad. She was able to buy her house outright in an era when most people rented. She attended Holy Redeemer Church, as I do. It makes me a little happy to wash the dishes in the same sink she used and dust her floors.

Neither of my grandparents houses on the east side [[Hurlbut Ave and Beneteau St.) survive. My parents house in the jefferson Chalmers neighborhood is torn down as well. I would save one of them if they existed. I think the walls absorb happy energy!

**marshamusic** · May-01-13, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

wow, Rick! what a nice house! It would need a lot of work but it's a nice house. You're brave to go up in there. I love those wooden cabinets in the kitchen and the oak trim on the walls.

Your Mom is cool, too.

**RickBeall** · May-01-13, 03:03 PM

I thought the scary face at the end might raise a smile.

The house is a time capsule. It looks like it was loved for a long time.

**SWMAP** · May-01-13, 03:48 PM

That was/is a beautiful house.

Very often here, when justifying the trashing of many Detroit neighborhoods, posters employ a new meme [[forgive me): Detroit's housing stock was so poor that it somehow deserved trashing; that it was thrown up hastily and that is why it is so disrespected. But RickBeall's grandmother's house and so many others like the big bricks on West Grand Blvd that are all burnt out sort of make me question the truth of the meme.

Am I the only one who is puzzled by the ruining/discarding/burning/tagging of Detroit's housing stock? Is this happening in Boston or Baltimore or anywhere else?