I’m lost on the history of this area – meaning, I have some of what was told to me in my head – and the rest of it is kind of a blur. I think this is one of “those” moments where my brain has “Auto shut off after 15 minutes, Unplug to reset!”.
So the story goes like this ---John Deere, the Tractor King, had 2 daughers. One daughter married a man named Butterworth, and as a wedding pressent, John Deere built his daughter this house.
The garage where we are meeting is at the back side of a very very large lot ----and the house now has meeting rooms, offices, things like that. We couldn’t get in to tour, but hoping maybe we can in the few days I have left here --- it’s Sunday today, so I doubt it.
This daughter’s first name was Katherine, I believe. THe house is now known as the Butterworth center.
Blue Bells are growing in the garden!
I absolutely LOVED this carriage portico ---it’s arched shape and the room above it with very Art Deco style stained glass windows ---
I love gargoyles and faces and figurines – I wonder what the story is about this arch adornment?!
Because we couldn’t get in to see anything, ogled as much as we could peering at the outside, and then we walked to the end of the street, turned right and went to Katherine’s SISTER’s house – which had me gasping for breath:
I didn’t catch the name of THIS sister –but she married a guy with the last name of Wiman. They built this house in 1909. I believe it was also a wedding gift from her father, John Deere, the Tractor King!
Holy Moly! I have serious coveting for this house ---all of the round places, and natural light from all those windows….but I do NOT covet being the one who has to wash these windows! No one lives here now, it’s also offices and meeting rooms, etc. One of the windows has a 1909 and a D in the leaded glass panes --- this daddy sure loved his daughters!
Group Shot! It was great to get out and stretch our legs after being in sewing all day!
Around the corner of the drive, a little ways off, is the carriage house for THIS residence. Heck, I’ll take this as a studio house any day!
The Mississippi Valley Quilters guild has access to this building for their sit-n-sews several times a month ---inside, the ground floor room was large and bright and several quilters were working on projects as this evening was also a sit n stitch time!
We walked right in that first door on the left to stop and visit and say hello and see what everyone was working on!
The grounds were just beautiful --- look at this tree:
Hello, Allergies, glad to see you are in full bloom here too! LOL!
YELLOW dogwoods? How come I haven’t seen THESE in North Carolina?! They were butter yellow and so beautiful!
Our walk took us out of the estate area, and back to “normal life” ----I tell you what though, one thing you do not see on fancy schmancy hoidy toidy Tractor Princesses lawns? And maybe it is a good thing?
NO!! Say it isn’t SO!!
I could hear the “whiiiiiiiirrrrrr” of over-abundant extra large motors on the blow up yard art from a block away!!
We have just entered …*DUHN DUHN DUHN!!!!!!* The ---- TACKY ZONE!
Be Afraid. Be VERY Afraid!
I like bunnies. I do. I like baby ducks – yes I do……but I’m not crazy about them being bigger than I am --- and it’s even funnier when their motors are not blowing them full of air, and they lay like little fabric puddles in the middle of the lawn ----but this? If ever there was a use for the word OVERKILL --- this would be it!
It’s a wrap-around Easter-Disaster---it goes around the whole house! Motors whirring, giant puffy things standing tall and regal and….very pastel. :c/
Do you think that maybe, just maybe..putting the blow-up Easter Brigade on sentinel by the door keeps the door-to-door salvation peddlers at bay? LOL!
Seriously, no offence meant to either the blow-up yard art lovers, or any door knockers-- this is all very tongue in cheek and we all had a huge laugh as we made our way back to the Garage where our class was.
((Why is it I feel like I must include a disclaimer when I post my own thoughts anymore!?))
One redeeming thing --- isn’t this old car a BEAUTY!? I’m thinking I need a sewing machine in THIS color!
Take a walk ---and keep your eyes open! You just never know what you’ll see to inspire, or to make you laugh out loud ---or ---to dream!
