Putting a shine on...

Well this time of year last year, Robyn and I were in full construction mode on the kitchen.  The weather had been in the '70's for a month, the table saw and miter saw were running full bore, and we were breaking ground on our new garden.

 

 Not being able to get the saws out has put a bit of a cramp in our ability to move on to the next project, much less till up the garden.

 

But still, the next house project sometimes just shows itself, such as the stairs this weekend.  Since we've progressed far enough on the house, I just can't set up the saws inside anymore... And I'd gotten tired at looking at the stairs which had been a bit rough when we moved in and all the paint I spilled when painting the stairwell hadn't help them much.

 

The previous residents must have had some hungry dogs because nearly ever baseboard corner, plus the bottom corner of the stair, was chewed up.

 

So I hooked our vacuum cleaner up to where the dustbag on my palm sander is usually attached and I go to sanding. 

 

I found that this wasn't the first time the stairs had been refinished.  Whoever who had done it before had used a rotary sander which didn't reach all the way into the corners.  Maybe palm sanders didn't exist back then.

 

 

The swirl marks were visible in the corner. Three hours later and 2 1/2 sheets of 80 grit sandpaper..

 



 

...13 stairs and a landing had been stripped. A pass over with some 220 grits sandpaper, I was ready to lay down some shiny stuff.

 

I had some water-based Varathane combination stain and poly.  I'd bought it a month or so ago to do the crown moulding (which I hadn't been able to get started on because of the weather.)  I'd used the same product, but a different color in the breakfast nook, I figured it would work just as well for the floor.  It was easy to use, dried quickly, and cleaned up easily.  About 5 hours later, I laid down the last of four coats.

 



 

 

The stairss look great, such a big improvement.  However, I might ougtha read the entire label before I started.

 

 

Oh well... it only took 3 hours to sand it down the first time. (and it does look good.)



Visiting with voices from the past.

It's hard to believe it's been a year since I started research our home (Ghosts of the Past) and made contact with the family who lived in and grew up in our home (Voices of the Past).  It was really interesting to learn about the history behind the house and the people who grew up here.  Since then, I've kept in touch with Susan Iverson Fellie who now lives in Ohio not far from where Robyn is from.

Last year, Robyn and I also learned we should call our home "old" but rather because of its age, it should be considered "historic."  Fortunately, we are outside the historic district, barely, so there are a whole bunch of regulations that we don't have to follow.

But every "historic" home needs a name.  Because the Iverson family lived here longer than anyone else, 50+ years, we decided to call the house, The Iverson House.  We've been using it on Facebook postings for sometime.

Tuesday night, April 2, Susan, along with her brother, Chris; father, Bruce; mother, Bonnie; husband, Richard and their three kids, came to visit us.  It was a great 2 hours.  (I spent so much time talking I forgot to take pictures.)

Bruce brought a CD full of pictures over to show.  Some much of the history to East Saint Paul, and our home, is captured in the photos.

I'm going to put them in here, captioned to the best of my memory from Bruce's "slideshow." 
So, in no particular order...

Christmas Time - Grace Iverson with Susan Iverson Fellie, around 1970



Front of the Iverson House on Pacific St. - 1930's

Iverson's, and possibly Burger's as well, in the 600 Block of Conway

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Joseph and Caroline Burger, circa 1916



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Katherine E Schnittger baking in the kitchen- 1940's

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Side yard of the Iverson House, before 1947 because the upstairs porch hadn't been enclosed.  It was enclosed when Nancy was born.  This is probably Russ who was born in 1936



Back steps of the Iverson House, year unknown

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Birthday Party in the dining room

Backyard at the Iverson House on Pacific (note that the upstairs porch isn't enclosed)

Bruce and Nancy Iverson with their Grandmother Burger

Russ and Bruce collect scrap metal for WW II. The houses in the background are gone as is the streetcar going down Earl.

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Russ, Bruce and Nancy in the backyard of the Iverson House on Pacific

Christmas Tree in the SE corner of the living room with a view of the dining room of the Iverson House on Pacific

Here's what the same view looks like today...

View of the Earl Street Bridge and I-94 construction, circa 1973 (based on the date on the bridge)

View of the Earl Street Bridge and I-94 construction from Hudson Road, circa 1973

Russ and Bruce collect scrap metal for WW II. The houses in the background are gone.

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Chillin' in the sideyard

Family after 1968 in backyard of the Iverson House on Pacific St.

Kitchen at the Iverson House

Clock on the wall of the NE corner of the breakfast nook

Putting the patio in under the maple tree - 1958

April 1960 - SW Corner of the Breakfast nook.  Potted plants and National Geographics in the bookcase below

East Side of the Iverson House on Pacific Street.  I love the grey cedar shingle siding so much more than the vinyl that is on it now.

Assorted Burgers, including Chief Justice Warren Burger, uncle of Russ, Bruce and Nancy Iverson, in the backyard of the Iverson house on Pacific St.

Young Warren Burger in football uniform

Burgers, Schnittgers, Iversons, including Chief Justice Warren Burger, uncle of Russ, Bruce and Nancy Iverson, under the maple tree in the backyard of the Iverson house.

Slightly different view of the homes on the south side of Pacific Street from Hudson Road across the construction of I-94, circa 1973 (based on the date on the plaque on the Earl Street Bridge.)

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View towards the east from the Iverson House.  Warren Burger built that house for his mother in the 1950's.  There was a sidewalk between that house and our house.  I love the white birch tree; I've been planning on planting some.

View of front of Iverson House on Pacific St - Winter March 1962.  The front porch had yet to be enclosed and that big spruce tree was there either.

View towards the east from the Iverson House on Pacific St. - Winter March 1962

Same view, February 2013.  The lilacs and lamp post are still there although the lamp is gone.

Lauren Iverson, father of Russ, Bruce and Nancy, putting in an electric line to the garage, circa 1958

View of the back of the garage of the Iverson House at Pacific St.

Washing dishes in the kitchen of the Iverson House on Pacific St.

View of the flower beds in the backyard... and source of a large number of the rocks we found last summer.

View from the empty lots east of the Iverson House on Pacific St.. Before the 1950's.