Tom Crellin House, 1869 (Our House)
Our house is not the oldest in Washington, or even in Oysterville. It’s in the oneofthe category – and you can think of that word oneofthe as similar to wannabe in pronunciation but not necessarily in definition. In Washington, the oldest house (most likely) is the John R. Jackson House on the Jackson Highway in Lewis County. It was built in 1850, reconstructed in 1915, and now is part of a State Park. In Oysterville, the Munson House (once called the “Red Cottage” but recently painted gray) was built in 1863 and the John Crellin House, once the twin of ours, was built in 1867 – both older than ours.
John R. Jackson House, 1850
The Tom Crellin House (ours) was built in 1869 and has been in the Espy family since 1892. And when I say “in the family” I mean that in every sense – fanciful and otherwise. These walls do talk to us – their scars and patches have recorded many stories from long ago. We also know that the house is happiest when there are parties and concerts and events here – the house loves people. And, it is also abundantly clear that this old place requires about the same investment in upkeep each year as keeping a kid in an Ivy League College or an elderly relative in an upscale living facility. We consider the house a beloved family member.
John Crellin House, 1867
So it is that we are beginning to consider what to do next year to commemorate her 150th birthday. We are pretty sure it will be a party of some kind. Maybe something involving house tours. Maybe a birthday party in combination with the establishment of some kind of long-term care package for the house – a non-profit foundation or society to keep the house intact for another 150 years. That’s been suggested as we have struggled to find a solution to the house’s future.
The Little Red Cottage. 1863
Or maybe there’s a better idea. It bears some consideration… and soon. One of the things about getting older, whether you are a person or a house – each year goes by more quickly than the last. And there’s also that “best laid plans” thing… So, I guess the first question to be asked is would anybody come to a birthday party for this old house? If not, there’s no point in ordering the champagne.
We would come if we are healthy and available.
Sounds like fun and we would love to see you!
Love, love the idea of a birthday party for “The House”. And, wouldn’t it be fun if each decade or era was represented in costume? Also, is there any way you could incorporate the house with the cemetery as part of the 501c3 non profit since your family donated the land for the cemetery? Just my thoughts!
Love your creative thinking! But…
Actually, my folks did donate the acre addition (the new section) to the Cemetery but the original land for the (pioneer) part of the Cemetery was donated by Fernando C. Davis who owned the hill it’s on __ “Davis Hill.” I don’t think the house and the cemetery really have much logical connection.
If we do the 501C3, I think it will have to be dedicated just to the house somehow.
A party is definitely required at 150! And a foundation of some sort to keep things going through the years! Maybe a donation party! It is really a labor of love at this point and many share that with you!
Thanks for your encouragement, Jean! I’m beginning to explore possibilities. Stay tuned!
S.
Hi Sydney. Your family has done a good job of keeping up your home, although you have written about the substantial cost of maintaining the historic house. I am curious about the other historic houses in Oysterville. Several historic houses are full of rot, and suffer from long neglect and little or no maintenance. My house had to be repaired when I bought it, to preempt rot and water damage. Martie and Steve made a huge investment to recreate the Stream house. Yet the Heckes house probably won’t be standing much longer, it is like cork. The yellow house (Duchek?) is rotting on the south side. There aren’t many others left. Does the ORF have any plan to address this, recognizing the limitations given private ownership? Your pictures are generous—if currrnt photographs were used the picture would be very different. Wishing it were otherwise, Kevin.
Hi Kevin,
ORF’s mission, as far as I know, is to maintain the church and the “open space” properties under their stewardship. Private properties in Oysterville are the responsibility of the property owners. In 1976, when Oysterville was awarded its ‘National Historic District’ status by the Department of the Interior, the federal government had monies available for matching grants for properties in National Historic designations. (I think that was part of an overall Bicentenial push, nation-wide.) Those monies “dried up” in the 1980s but before they did, ORF was instrumental in helping Norm Dutchuck (Ned Osborne House) and Helen Heckes (John Crellin House) get funds for projects on their homes since they are considered “contributing” properties to the District. I so wish that such funding was still available — a much better investment than so many of the current federal expenditures in my opinion. You might get better information by asking one of the ORF Board Members. I’ve been out of the loop for some time.
Thank you Sydney. I am not sure it is a taxpayer responsibility to fund private home maintenance, but that touches on the political, best left for a conversation over a glass of wine beside a warm fire. My hope is that ORF, at a minimum, will support those who take preservation seriously, and not be an obstacle to such efforts. We all want to live in a community that is vibrant and prosperous, both emotionally and structurally. If this doesn’t happen, there won’t be any historic homes left to celebrate. Thanks for your feedback.
Could you share images of “The Little Red Cottage” before it was a cottage and painted red? I think any images of it as a functioning courthouse/hail would be helpful for everyone to see so that we all don’t slide into the trap of sentimentality set by words like “little” and “cottage.”
Sorry. I don’t have any photographs from that period of time (1868 – 1875.) If you run across any, I’d love to see them.
Sydney
What color was The Barry Residence before Willard painted it red?
Hi Greg,
I’m not really sure. I don’t have any colored photos of the house from that period of time. My memory says “yellow” but I couldn’t swear to it. Susan or Ann might have a better memory of it.
S.