Who doesn’t love a good time capsule? This one, built in 1952 in Gladewater, Texas, has been on Zillow for about 10 days and is already generating lots of interest online; I ran across it when a reader shared it on the always mesmerizing Old House Dreams. While not a great example of any particular architectural style, the highly eclectic house is of interest primarily because it has survived 66 years with very few alterations and only minor updates (most appear to date to the 1960’s). Original wallpapers still captivate; tiled baths gleam like new. While the furnishings may not be original to the house (which has sold twice before), they have been in the house for decades and many are of the period. A curved desk is likely original to the house. Let’s take a peek at the past!
The house is roughly L-shaped with a curved corner. A tower-like room emerges from the roof. Image courtesy of Google Street View.
It is nicely situated on a corner lot. Image courtesy of Google Street View.
The side door appears to have served as the most-used entrance. Image courtesy of Google Street View.
A curved sunroom fills in the crook of the L-shaped plan. Photo source: zillow.com
Bold and original wallpaper lines the hall. Note the phone niche at right. Photo source: zillow.com
Dentil crown moldings and a Federal-style mantle convey a traditional tone at odds with the more modern exterior. Photo source: zillow.com
The living room opens to the spacious sunporch. Photo source: zillow.com
The room beyond the dining room appears to be the side entry, and may have originally served as an office. Photo source: zillow.com
Great wallpaper! A half bath connects to this room. Photo source: zillow.com
More original wallpaper. Fun lighting flanks the round mirror! Photo source: zillow.com
This bedroom connects to the sunporch. The vanity in the corner has probably been in that spot since the house was built. Photo source: zillow.com
The floor of the sunroom is set with high-quality quarry tile which still looks great. Photo source: zillow.com
This bedroom has closet doors with full-size beveled mirrors attached. The light fixture appears to be of Italian art glass. Photo source: zillow.com
The wall-mounted handrail is interesting because it starts with a newel post. Let’s run upstairs to the “tower” room! Photo source: zillow.com
It appears to be the Master bedroom. Photo source: zillow.com
I’d bet that the curved desk was custom made for that location. I think that the door at right leads to the bathroom seen below. Photo source: zillow.com
An adjacent bath with great tile and an enviable shower door. Photo source: zillow.com
The kitchen has had some updates over the years, but still retains its original cabinets and countertops. Photo source: zillow.com
This hall presumably leads to the garage, back yard and basement. Note the fluted door casings which are typical of those throughout the house; they utilize plinth blocks, but have mitred corners in lieu of corner blocks. Photo source: zillow.com
Those garage doors appear to be quite stout and will probably last forever if allowed to. Photo source: zillow.com
Another interesting tiled bath – this one appears to have a curved vanity built into the corner. Photo source: zillow.com
The fourth amazingly original tiled bath. The wallpaper looks original, too. Something tells me this house never had kids in it! Photo source: zillow.com
Wow, that could be a movie set. I’m not sure I’d change much, but I may just be a Luddite. It reminds me of a 1941 house my sister bought in KC in the early 1980s from the estate of the couple that built it.
It had the same pink tile in the bathroom, and when she pulled up the original carpeting there were hardwood floors that had never been finished. Best of all was the 600 lb Chambers stove that came with the kitchen, which she still uses.
Your sister is wise to be using the Chambers stove… my grandmother had one and they were of excellent quality. I’ve heard of other houses which harbored unfinished oak floors beneath the carpeted rooms; I’m not sure of the reason for it but it couldn’t have been too cost-effective for the builders! If given the opportunity to live in this place, I would feel compelled to make a few subtle changes (replace the upstairs red carpet with something not red, etc.) but could live with most of the finishes as they are. Most potential future homeowners will not stop there, I fear. If the house comes back on the market later as a flip, I’ll do another post about it then.