Comfortable enough in a bungalow they’d restored themselves, Hannah Callaghan and Bob Weaver had lived in Portland’s historic Irvington neighborhood for over a decade. Still, they looked out for grander homes going on the market: these are rarely for sale, and usually quite expensive. One summer afternoon in 1990, they heard about the so-called Nun’s House, just listed. A family named Brady, the original owners, had left the house and all its contents to the Sisters of the Holy Name, and now the Sisters were selling.
Designed by prominent Portland architect Joseph Jacobberger, the exterior boasts a unique mix of Tudor Revival with Arts & Crafts details. Unusual and imposing, the stucco and brick façade has great curb appeal, with gables and bays, decorative bargeboards, Gothic tracery, and a deep porch. Built for Michael Brady, a railroad-equipment salesman, the fine house has its original chandeliers and wall sconces, glowing stained-glass windows, built-in bookcases with leaded glass, and even the carved-wood drapery cornices in the living room. A valuable, Birge & Sons simulated-leather wallpaper in the library had never been removed.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Navigating the Lumberyard - Here's some lumber lingo you should know before you venture into a lumberyard.
Here's some lumber lingo you should know before you venture into a lumberyard. Almost everyone fixing an old house will end up at a lumberyard-whether it's a local supplier or the organized aisles of a big-box home-improvement store.
a farmhouse renewed
Sensitive renovations and restoration work preserved a house that dates to 1799.
AN OVERVIEW OF METAL ROOFING
METAL ROOFS ARE RESURGENT, FOR GOOD REASONS.
ENDURING BEAUTY IN WALLS of STONE
Now back in the family who had been here since 1830, the old farmhouse is again ready for generations to come. Additions dating to 1840 and the 1950s were preserved.
ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS COME TO LIFE
Owners and their designer celebrate the unique features of a 1912 Arts & Crafts Tudor.
For a Wet Basement Wall
If there's problem common to old houses, it's a wet basement. I'm not talking about occasional flooding, but rather a basement that apparently seeps or leaks after even a rain shower or during snowmelt. Several approaches are available; sustainable solutions will get to the root of the problem.
Patching a Plaster Wall
Fix a hole in the wall with a few common tools and some drywall supplies. Practice your technique!
Roofing & Siding
Make note of these historical and unusual materials for the building envelope.
The Riddle of the water
When water incursion happens, the roof isn't necessarily the culprit. Maybe snaking a drain line, or clearing debris from a clogged gutter, temporarily will stem a leak. But a recurring problem usually means other forces are at work. It takes persistence-and a team with the right skills and patience—to identify the source and apply a solution.
Light-filled Craftsman Redo
For a dark kitchen in a 1914 Illinois house, the trick was anchoring white expanses with woodsy warmth.
