Installment 13: Progress Report on the House - Painting is fun

There haven’t been many updates on the house because there’s not been much going on. Finally, the weather has gotten somewhat normal. Some vacation time will be spent soon doing something I don’t really do that often – paint.

So much time goes into prepping an area that painting can be quite the anitclimax. It’s the easiest thing to do in regards to the restoration work. It's easy and I find it relaxing and enjoyable.

One interesting tidbit that I can share is a connection with the Cardinal Ritter Birthplace, which is two blocks down the road from my house. Earlier this summer I was desperate to find crown molding for the exterior of my house. I had some small areas that had rotted and were not salvageable.

The crown is not stock stuff and I could not find a match anywhere. Weeks went by. Enter Greg Sekula of Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana. During work on the Ritter house, they’d removed some of the exterior crown molding. He’d told me I was welcome to what they had if it was the right style.

It was. So I grabbed two six foot sections. A small part of the Ritter house is now permanently attached to mine. This section of crown (what is white in the photo) is from the Ritter house. It’s a little beat up and dented. I could have spent time filling in the divots, making it look like new. But instead I left it exactly as is.

I’m pleased with it and will make sure I bore everyone who comes by with the story of my piece of the Ritter house.