“Houses carry the atmosphere of their past.” -Isle Crawford
You know I love restoration and trains and history…that love has led us to yet another project. This sweet little 1940’s farmhouse in downtown Bryson City has been neglected for a long time…but we immediately saw something in it:
With our friend Jaime Perkins and his wife (also Jaime) we decided to just jump right in and try to save this old house. All four of us immediately knew we could make it into something amazing for visitors looking for a unique place to stay in our small town. I didn’t even know the actual address of the property until after we had put in an offer for it a few weeks ago…and when I read it off the paper I knew that’s what we needed to call it: Sixty-One Park
The farmhouse was once owned by the town’s railroad telegrapher Cecil Plott and his wife Mildred. Their son Tom still lives in the area and was gracious enough to meet us at the house yesterday to paint a picture of what it was once like. He has some really great stories to tell and we all just followed him from room to room as he and his wife Judith looked around for the first time in about thirty years. In the photo below Mr. Plott was showing us where the old coal stove used to sit that would heat the living room. On the opposite side of the wall was the wood stove for cooking. As a young boy he was responsible for keeping the kindling chopped. The coal stove was eventually switched to kerosene.
“I could only carry one gallon of kerosene at first and it was a long way to the woodshed to get it. Eventually I was able to carry five gallons at once.”
We really want to honor the history of this house and its connection to the railroad so it’s going to be a fun journey to follow. I’ve always wanted a farmhouse…and a beautiful, inspiring place where people can gather. I feel like this is a dream come true.
Brett and Jaime couldn’t help themselves and started demo this morning before they both went off to work. Here’s the upstairs landing where the three smaller bedrooms are. We will be adding a bathroom upstairs too.
I’ll be posting photos of the restoration and history as we go. I’ll try to round up summaries in blog posts but to see the progress real time and for updates on when we might actually start taking reservations check our the Sixty-One Park Facebook Page and Instagram page!
I’m excited to follow your new adventure. Sounds very rewarding (definitely a lot of work). “Jaime and Jaime” – how cute is that.
I love your commitment to enjoying your life and enhancing the city you live in.
I too am excited to see what you guys do with the house.
Reading your blog always brightens my day. Thanks for being you.
Oh, I dream of coming to visit for sure!
I always wanted to restore an old house so years ago we moved into an old farmhouse in Maryland. I tried my best to paint and restore but neither of us had enough talent…and we were renting! I had a baby so we had to move to a healthier environment. I admire you for taking on this labor of love! Best of luck to all of you and I’ll be following your blog. You’re fulfilling my dream.
Mine too!!
I love your journey with life. I am anxiously waiting!
This is so special…my grandfather,whose first name was Cecil, started his career with Southern Railroad as a telegrapher…and eventually became a station agent. So both your chicken coop and reading about this house have a special place in my heart…..
Ashley, as usual, I live vicariously through your lives adventures… I have had the dream to reno a farm house since I was a young girl…or at least live in one. You live a very blessed life. Happy trails and thank you for allowing us the wonder of watching you all through this journey.
This house is adorable! …and I so “get” your vision for a gathering spot! (As a new business owner, I’m looking for venues/lodging in NC to host workshops and retreats, so I’ll be keeping an eye on your progress! Enjoy the process…I suspect the result will be phenomenal!
Good move! You’ll enjoy the process very much, nail by nail….Crafty will be full of advise, he did a big farm house restoration and, he’s quite talented, I might add.
this is so exciting!!! I wish a magician could lift up a home like this and move it to my property!! I’d love to have an old historic home. I can’t wait to watch this progress!
What a revamp! Actually this is a good way to remodel your home the way you like it. There will be a lot of cleaning work, but it doesn’t matter if the result is worth it 🙂