Sweeton House: Under New Ownership

DRN · Post by **DRN** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:37 am

Well, we did it. At 3pm yesterday my wife and I became the fourth owners (third resident owners) of the J. A. Sweeton house. It was a long process...one year three weeks, but we are very excited for what we are about to embark upon.

After closing, we went to the house for a little while before I drove my wife back to her office for an appointment. Despite the dust, grime, and cobwebs, sitting on that warm red floor in the middle of the living room listening to the cardinals outside and noticing how vibrant the yellow forsythia blooms looked on a grey day, we felt at home and very enriched.

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:15 am

Congratulations to the both of you! You've come a long way already to save and care for a very special home.

And all the best to you as you continue forward in your architectural venture/undertaking.

I certainly look forward to reading and learning more about the Sweeton House and your experiences and enjoyment of living there.

David

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:32 pm

Congratulations on the new "baby" !

SDR

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:10 pm

Congratulations! I'm sure you will be well rewarded for your efforts; we all look forward to hearing how things go.

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:04 pm

Don't know if you've run into this before, but I found these pictures of some furniture and items from Sweeton that were auctioned off two years ago. There's also this photo from the previous web page of some Sweeton hassocks.

Do you have any plans for someday possibly re-creating some or all of the missing furniture?

David

SWSinDC · Post by **SWSinDC** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:12 pm

Congratulations! Don't mind the rest of us if we break a commandment coveting your new house.

hypnoraygun · Post by **hypnoraygun** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:59 pm

Awesome! I can't wait to see the progress of the home. We will all be by later for a drink!

This is great news! Seriously, thank you for your commitment to preservation and Frank Lloyd Wright's work.

yeah!

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:15 pm

Congratulations! FLW houses are an incredible joy to own, especially for an architect.

Wrightgeek · Post by **Wrightgeek** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:07 pm

Congrats to you and your wife, DRN.

I'm sure I speak for many of the members of the forum when I tell you that while many of us are envious of you, we are all very thankful that someone such as yourself was willing and able to step up to the plate to rescue this treasure.

I look forward to following your journey of discovery as you uncover the beauty that lies beneath the years of neglect that have befallen this work of art.

Please keep the members of the forum informed, as I know you will. We are interested in your triumphs and your tragedies, and will always be here to offer our moral support, advice and encouragement.

Like you, we care. Thanks again.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:00 am

Now *that* was nicely said. . .

SDR

DRN · Post by **DRN** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:16 am

Thank you all for the warm well wishes.

TnGuy: We have seen the auction pictures, but thanks for posting the link, we had lost track of it. We intend to recreate some of the furniture as time and money allows..in particular the hassocks. The house's sole remaining Wright chair is actually rather comfortable, despite the now crunchy foam rubber of the seat cushion. The chair's back cushion stuffing is something I had never seen before: a plastic material that looks like steel wool in a mesh bag; has anyone encountered this?..was it meant to be so stiff?. The fabrics are a little worn on some of the piping, and dirty, but otherwise in good shape. When we are ready to get the foam replaced, we'll unzip the covers and soak them in Woolite as the quilters do, and let them air dry.

We spent this weekend getting the house sanitary enough to live in, though we already are. My wife bravely scoured and de-molded the fridge and de-gunked the 1951 GE range. I took extensive photos of the interior of the house to record the existing conditions, and as I'm not afraid of spiders, began the task of cleaning every nook and cranny of the house. I should be done interior cleaning in about a month and a half. Those looking for a smart investment would do well to buy stock in SC Johnson and the makers of Murphy's Oil Soap. It is amazing though to clean it....I have an aha moment every hour or so.

RA · Post by RA » Mon Mar 31, 2008 11:02 am

Careful with the Murphy's Oil Soap on wood where the finish may have worn off in spots. The wood may discolor or prevent true refinishing.

Good luck with your house. It will be a source of great joy from the moment you first entered until the day you leave.

hypnoraygun · Post by **hypnoraygun** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:33 pm

DRN, I was thinking about your purchase of the Sweeton house the other day. How is it going? Any luck we could get some new pictures of the progress?

We would love to hear all you can spare to share..

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:46 pm

I will here restate my offer to display photos sent to me by Wright Chatters. Please specify that you wish the photos to be displayed, and where.

SDR

Palli Davis Holubar · Post by **Palli Davis Holubar** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:45 pm

Congratulations. I'm sending a Weltzheimer catalog for a housewarming gift, as well as, thanks for the hassock drawing.
Am I right?...there are no perfs...any perf laylights?

Palli