True Tales From Old Houses

In this episode, Stacy, acting as a field reporter, walks a very short distance to interview guest, Andy Grinsfelder. When Andy was a kid, he had three unexplained brushes with possible paranormal activity. Knowing that Andy is a lifelong skeptic, Stacy is shocked to hear these stories for the first time. Although there is plenty of laughter throughout the episode, there is no punchline because th...

This episode kicks off an entire month of Ghost Stories on True Tales From Old Houses.  In this episode, first-time homebuyers, Susan and Will Brinson of House of Brinson, tell Stacy how they ended up with their giant fixer-upper. Once a hot spot for selling horses and entertaining, Stony Ford Estate has confirmed to Susan and Will that "the party don't stop just 'cause you're dead." 

In this episode, Stacy starts off with some difficult news about Devyn's health.  Next, when many people retire, they look forward to days of leisure at home or traveling. Today's guest, Ron and his wife, who he affectionately refers to as "upper management," bought a 4000 square foot Gothic Victorian instead. Nine years into their long-term restoration, Ron is full of humor and insight.    

This week, Devyn and Stacy both had to take an unexpected leave of absence. So, today's episode is a repeat of a fan favorite--the one that started it all, Ash Dump Archeology with special guest, Donn Grenda. The original air date was September 9, 2018. In this episode, Stacy explains how she and Andy ended up buying Blake Hill House. Also, archaeologist Donn Grenda discovers 60 year's worth of ar...

In this episode, Stacy first recaps her traveling adventures and observations about beautiful Japan.  During segment two, Devyn and Stacy welcome Catherine Brooks from Eco-Strip--the sole distributor of Speedheater™ infrared paint strippers and tools. Catherine's passion for infrared technology and lead-safety education makes her the superhero we need in the old house community.   

In today's mini-episode, Devyn and Stacy discuss restoration and renovation conundrums--Q&A style. Find out the answers to these burning questions:  What would compel Devyn to paint woodwork? How does Stacy feel about vintage toilets?  Will Devyn ever commit to installing the recessed lighting in his parlor? Can vegans even use shellac?         

  At the beginning of this episode, Devyn and Stacy discuss their summer vacations and Stacy's weird hobby. No matter where they go, old houses and old buildings make their way onto the travel agenda.    During segment two, Devyn and Stacy welcome Gunther and Anastasiia, a Husband and Wife duo living in a converted Gothic Revival Episcopal church. This charming duo is known as All Saints House on...

Season Two Begins!  In this episode, Stacy and Devyn welcome Elizabeth Finkelstein, a preservationist, writer, and owner of Cheap Old Houses and Circa Houses, both wildly successful Instagram accounts. Elizabeth also writes the monthly real estate column for  Country Living  magazine.  Through her work, Elizabeth tirelessly champions the preservation of old houses, and she has connected countless...

In this episode, Stacy's long-time dream of talking to someone who has moved an old house comes true. Larissa and Kris Munsch moved a bungalow, affectionately titled, "The Governor" from Ness City Kansas to their farm 71 miles away. The process was just as exciting and nervewracking as you can imagine.  Thousands of people became acquainted with the Governor's journey first via Larissa's wildly po...

In this episode, Stacy's long-time dream of talking to someone who has moved an old house comes true. Larissa and Kris Munsch moved a bungalow, affectionately titled, "The Governor" from Ness City Kansas to their farm 71 miles away. The process was just as exciting and nervewracking as you can imagine.  Thousands of people became acquainted with the Governor's journey first via Larissa's wildly po...

Kelvins, watts, CRI, CFLs, LEDs. What does it all mean? In this episode, Devyn gives a history of the light bulb starting with the incandescent and ending up with his beloved LEDs. (It's true!) Memory lane is real, and we go there.  Later in the episode, Devyn completely demystifies the overwhelming light bulb aisle for Stacy and anyone else who can't figure out which bulb to buy for their antique...

In this Episode, Devyn and Stacy have a blast interviewing Scott Sidler from Austin Historical and The Craftsman Blog. Learn about Scott's unique path into historic preservation, his favorite kind of restoration work, and what in the world is a house sandwich?  Tangents include Disney World, NPR, and the pole in the middle of the stripping room at Scott's workshop. It's not what you think! (This e...

In This episode, Devyn and I chat briefly about the Historic Homes Workshop. Then, Joe Hayes, from Hayes Window Restoration in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I discuss lead-safe practices for homeowners and regional differences in old windows. Do we do a lot of episodes about window restoration? Yes, we do. Is this episode different than the rest? Yes, it is. Grab a pen and paper. There's some good i...

In this episode, meet Stacy's new co-host, Devyn Caldwell from OurPhillyRow.com.  Devyn and Stacy discuss a brief history of hardwood floors and review three modern, but historically respectful floor refinishing products.  

In this episode, Steve Quillian, CEO, Craftsman and Historic Preservationist visits with me about his mission to spread joy and reverence for Historic Preservation and restoring old windows. Inspired by his ancestors and a love for community and helping others, Steve started something called the Artisan Army . He knows that as one person he can only accomplish so much, but an army of trained artis...

Ever since Debbie was eight years old, she has been passionate about Civil War History. So, imagine how happy it made her to buy a documented safe house on one of the routes of the Underground Railroad.  Debbie was not in her dream house for long before unusual incidents began. Many people dismiss the unexplained, but she knew exactly what was happening.    It turns out that Debbie's little piece...

Repair or replace those old windows? Which side of the debate do you land on? In this episode, Stacy talks about all the window work in BHH, and common sense rules she follows for restoration. Also,  How many windows are there in her big old house? (It's a shocking amount!) The special guest on episode #2 is Ty McBride, CEO of Wood Window Rescue , in Oklahoma City. Ty discusses how he got started...

In this episode, Stacy explains how she and Andy ended up buying Blake Hill House. Also, archaeologist Donn Grenda discovers 60 year's worth of artifacts from the clogged fireplaces in his craftsman style home. Donn's discovery sparked his interest in researching the history and folklore of the times. That led to some bizarre findings and a couple of nearly famous people.