The Old Weinrich House

You know, a new house, in some ways, is like a new car. It's shiny and bright and even has a new house smell. New wood, new paint......it's just got that wonderful NEW smell! I am, not infrequently, in the new or newish homes of friends and I certainly admire the beauty of it all. For a woman, you absolutely can't deny the attraction of a brand new, fully equipped and modern kitchen. All the amenities, cabinet space, counter space/island.....you know what I'm talking about.  Just like the pictures in a magazine, right?

But though I can genuinely admire such an abode, for me it's just not home unless it's old. That's putting it pretty bluntly, but it's the truth. I am unabashedly drawn to antiquity - to the look and feel of  vintage. We're in the process of trying to nail down the exact age of our home. We believe it was built between 1860 to 65, perhaps a little later. We're working on it.

My family, Jamey's dad and I, bought this old tomb in 1976 from two sisters, also our friends, whose grandfather, Christian Weinrich, built the home. They told us that Mr. Weinrich had come from Germany in 1859 at the age of 15 and that, at the age of 16, he went to fight for the north in our country's War Between The States. Weinrich's Company played an important part in the Battle of the Wilderness. He was wounded at Perrysville, Kentucky and returned home to recuperate, as his Company had been dissolved. Later the Company was recalled and they accompanied General Sherman on his famous March To The Sea. He was honorably discharged. Sometime during these years, we are told, he purchased this ground and incrementally built the house. That old German certainly built it to last. It's not fancy, far from it. But it's sturdy and it's stood the test of time thus far.

Mr. Weinrich and his wife, Marie, had nine children in this home, some who lived to adulthood and some who did not. When the last of their children passed away, the home was inherited by their granddaughters, the sisters I mentioned earlier. For many years they rented out the house to more people than I can count or will ever know. But in 1976 when it went on the market, we bought it and became only the second family to ever own it. I raised my son here and it holds great emotional value to me.

Bob and I have worked very hard on the house through these past few years. Will we ever feel that we're finished? I think not. It's a continuous journey but one that we love. Frustration often accompanies us on this "journey" but it doesn't derail us. A few years ago while preparing to redo a bedroom on the second floor, Bob was removing old plaster from the walls. He found that several of the Weinrich children had written their names in pencil on the plastered walls. Certainly we felt an obligation to preserve these areas, which we did. It just seemed like the only respectful thing to do.

Most of the time I think of this house as their house, Christian's and Marie's. We just live in it and try to maintain it. It's always uppermost in our minds that we would never want to do anything to it that they would not find pleasing. That may sound odd to someone who doesn't share our love of the old, but it's just how we feel.

Speaking of kitchens a little earlier -- I doubt that there's a woman alive who would want my kitchen. Once in a blue moon I even wonder if I do!! It's certainly not convenient or modernized. It's pretty primitive. But then I remind myself that it IS what I want. I'm willing to live with the inconvenience in order to maintain the character. Bob and I are a collective "lost cause" when it comes to this kind of thing!

Right now we're in the process of screening in one of our porches so that we can enjoy it more throughout the year without being bothered by mosquitos! You know that this idea certainly speaks to me, as it will allow me more time on the porch!

In a subsequent column, I'll talk more about Christian Weinrich, who was a prominent businessman in Chester.

And if I haven't said so of late, thanks for reading. It brings me great joy.