Saturday, Sept. 27, was an amazing day for a number of reasons:
1. Dense, heavy clouds finally covered the skies and released a cool drizzle of welcome showers.
2. The Historic Reno Preservation Society (HRPS) hosted its annual Reno Harvest of Homes Tour (where I caught up with a former colleague and two guys from the neighborhood whom I haven’t seen in a while).
3. I got to meander through six phenomenal, historic homes that not only transported me back in time but set my mind spinning with ideas for my own vintage home.
Ah, but if only my home were made of stone or brick … Like a petite, squat dancer who pines for long, sinewy legs, I salivate for a brick Tudor or stone abode. While my home is quite pleasant, I just can’t help turning into mush every time I see a beautiful brick or sturdy, stone cottage. Add a porch, functional but attractive built-ins, rich wood trim, vintage tiles and a lush verdant garden – and my heart shatters into a thousand pieces.
The homes on the HRPS tour (ranging in age from c. 1870s to c. 1937) were true gems, transformed into eminently livable spaces while maintaining their unique history and charm. Warm thanks and appreciation go to the volunteers and homeowners who so graciously allowed enumerable strangers to tromp through their homes.
While I’ve often blasted Reno for not having the foresight to preserve its historical buildings and heritage for future generations, it’s extremely gratifying to know there are homeowners who devote time, talent and resources to restore these uncommon abodes. Even the smaller homes on the tour (under 900 square feet) shone with personality and appeal.
Of course, accolades also need to go to the Historic Reno Preservation Society, an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting historic resources in the Truckee Meadows through education, advocacy and leadership. I strongly encourage anymore who is interested in maintaining Reno’s historic resources to become a member of HRPS. For a nominal annual fee, members get to enjoy free historic walking tours and the informative FootPrints newsletter, while knowing that their dollars are being put to good use.
To learn more about HRPS, click on this link: http://www.historicreno.org/
As for me, who knows? Perhaps one of these days I might find myself enveloped within the sturdy walls of a historic brick or stone cottage. If not, I shall continue my comfortable relationship with my cute aluminum-framed 1940s home, whittling down my list of interior and exterior enhancements and repairs. And, like a lover who occasionally gets swept away by the allure of a verboten affair, I still will crumble at the sight of a quaint, brick cottage or a hardy stone exterior. Sorry, dear home, it’s an obsession I just can’t seem to shake.
Ponder and Prattle 