Originally published April 2017
Demolishing the first floor kitchen.
It has been close to 18 months since I moved my family into The Lamson House. And it has been an adventure, to say the least. When we moved into this house, it was a shadow of what it had been. We moved into a house that was scarred, sub-divided, ignored and abused. What had once been a grand monument in Bedford had become little better than a poorly maintained slum apartment building. We were asked more than once why we chose to move into The Lamson House. After all, it is just so much work.
My husband, Jeff, and I have a deep belief that there are things worth saving because no matter what has happened, they are still beautiful. Even when they are broken – and maybe because they were broken, they are beautiful and therefore worth saving. Where many before us saw a once grand house that was beyond salvage, we saw a piece of art and history that would be a tragedy for Bedford to lose. I was willing to work however hard I needed to in order to bring The Lamson House back to its former glory. Bedford should not lose such a gem. It did not hurt that my husband, my four children and I get to live in the end result.
We moved in and I ask my family to be ok with showers and faucets that did not work. I asked them to be patient while we got at least one of the kitchens functioning so that we could cook dinner indoors and have family meals at a dining room table again. I have asked them over and over to put in extra work and deal with the mess it takes to rip out old flooring, old cabinets and old crumbling plaster. Little by little, with an amazing amount of work and effort, we have turned what was a faded piece of architecture back into a lovely family home.
Why did we do it? Simple. Because we think it is worth saving. My husband and I fell in love with Bedford 16 years ago. We wanted our children to grow up here. We think that this community is a great place to raise kids, to run a business and to invest in. And having the privilege to do so while saving a magnificent piece of architectural art has made this journey all the more exciting and fulfilling.