Naming your house?

[KieranMD]

My home (family home) has a name - but only informally. Back when it was originally built, it was the last house or even building you would encounter when leaving town. As such, most people at the time referred to it as "The Last House". When I finally get around to submitting my historical designation forms to the city/province, I think I'd like to list it under that name. I think it sounds mysterious/romantic somehow.

[melissakd]

Great one, Kieran!

MKD

[KristenS]

All this time, I've been jealous of people whose houses had names. I didn't know *I* could just name my house! That's ingenious!

I've gotten the first owners names. So ours could be the James and Susan W. Gray House. Or maybe just The Gray House. (Kinda funny since it's bright blue.) But they were only here for 2 years. Hmm...I'm gonna have a long hard think about this one.

SO EXCITED!

[MarissaJude]

In my geneaological research I read that my property was once called "Orchard Meadow" but since there is no remaining orchard and through the years and changing of hands the size of my lot has dwindled down to a mere third of an acre, I feel it would be ridiculous to start calling it "Orchard Meadow" again. I just call it the Ezekiel Clark and Lucy Swan house, circa 1830. Even so, I still feel a little weird about that title. Ezekiel Clark built the house for his new bride, Lucy, in 1830 but she died only two years later. His subsequent wife, Huldah Smith, lived there for much longer, and I feel bad that I don't recognize her at all. Especially since she produced Ezekiel's only child. But 1- Huldah is an ugly name, especially compared to Lucy Swan. And 2- Lucy and I have the same birthday.

[melissakd]

But they were only here for 2 years

T. W. Bayless bought our lot in July 1863 and died without a will in January 1865, at which point the house was sold by order of the probate court (not sure how much choice his wife had, but anyway she moved back East and remarried), so that's not even two years, but hey, he built it, or more precisely had it built; he was a saddler.

I think of your house as the Chuck Lambert House.

MKD

[KristenS]

I think of your house as the Chuck Lambert House.

Awesome. I did more research today...but maybe I'll go put that into the other thread.

[SignPainter]

SignPainter, that's a nifty sign. Is that a historic lettering style or anything?

MKD

It's hand painted, free hand, with much freedom to use a lettering that fits the house. Sorry, I didn't reply sooner, I just saw your message.

[melissakd]

Ah, thank you very much, SP. I'd forgotten that I'd asked (but I was still interested in the answer!).

MKD

[JRC]

Interesting thread!

I've informally named my house the Nightmare on Elm Street--of course, even though it hasn't lived up to that name yet. (one could say it was a nightmare just to get the PO to sell it...)

But, I suppose it's real name will be the Barrett House, because I've been told that the first people to live there were named Barrett.

[Tujo]

I never really thought to name my old house (the one that is still in the signature below, I really should update that), other than to call it the "Boekner House", which is the family who built it and lived there for almost 110 years, until I bought it.

My current house I feel is a bit more deserving of a "real" name - its a bigger, fancier house at the end of a long path at the top of a hill. It has been occupied by far more people - changing hands at least a half dozen times in the last couple of decades alone. I want to firm up what I know about the history of the house - I have been told it was the Manse for the presbryterian church on the corner - so that could factor in. I would eventually like to put a sign out by the stairs that lead from the street up the hill to the house.