Friday evening we went to dinner at a Mediterranean Restaurant called Chadra Mezza and Grill. It was Rachelle and Shellie's last night in town and we were headed to the Ryan Place Holiday Tour. I am not a Mediterranean foods fan, so I had fettuccine, but the rest had the buffet and the conscientious was that it was great.
The first house we went to was The Taccia Home. This grand home, commissioned by businessman Jule Smith in 1918, is one of the largest on the street. With over 6,500 square feet on the two main floors its spaciousness is enhanced by the way the rooms are positioned to create a feeling of vast distance. The facade of the house is almost ninety feet long, and the upper gallery and third floor "ballroom" are designed to take advantage of the tremendous length. The Taccias became the third homeowners when they purchased it in 1994.
Sorry, but no interior pictures were allowed.
There were five houses on the tour. The West Home, the second we visited, is a bit different than the original, but you get used to maneuvering around the circular steel stairwell, sliding down the fireman's pole, and living in an open space. What was once a single story house, built in 1915, had a traditional floor plan, with many doors, a long narrow hallway, single bath, and a dark and dirt filled basement.
When third owners, Gary & Terri West, purchased the home in 2006 they had a different vision. Keeping the original iron flashed brick facade, they tossed most everything else. The objective was an efficient, well insulated, easily maintained home, with a splash of "different."
Next we toured St. John's Episcopal Church. St. John's was established as a mission church in 1924 and moved across the street to it present site in 1925. The overall diminutive scale of the building reflects a true English charm. The present sanctuary and office wing were constructed in 1952. The Dorothea Children's Chapel, classrooms and kitchen were built in 1965.
We headed a short way down the street to The Buky Home. This home was purchased in January of 2011 and in forty-five days was transformed from a chopped up floor plan and unremarkable exterior into an open, update d home with a Mediterranean flair. (Originally it is believed this was a Sears and Roebuck catalogue home.)
In the backyard was an unusual bottle brush tree.
The last home we toured was The Bennett Home. It was the smallest we toured about 1,000 square feet. Built before World War II in 1939, this home is fairly typical of its time period. What I enjoyed seeing was the 1930's phone nook. No longer needed for a landline phone, it makes a lovely small display area. Where I grew up, these booths were called Virgin Mary booths. Patti Bennett had a large collection of Nutcrackers on display for the holiday season.
No pictures of the interior were allowed. It was a lovely evening with friends who are like family!!
