2015 Lakeside Women’s Club Tour Of Homes

2015 Lakeside Women’s Club Tour of Homes503 Oak Ave. – “Kings Corner 4”Alice & Dwight KingA portion of this cottage, “Kings Corner 4,” was originally the summer kitchen for the adjacent houseat 502 Lynn Ave. The property was sold, and the new owner enlarged it by combining the summerkitchen, a cottage moved from the site of the Fifth Street Gate and an old garage from near Sypherd’sCycles that only had a six-foot-tall ceiling.The garage has been removed and replaced, but some portions remain from the Munholland cottage(previous owner). The Kings have kept the octagonal window, which is now in the laundry; and thebay window in the living room; as well as the historic features of the summer kitchen, which is nowthe master bedroom.The second floor has been added with two bedrooms (one of which is a great bunkroom for thegrandchildren), a bath and a landing area with daybed. Skylights on the second floor create interestand lighting effects. Both the builder and architect will be present for the Tour of Homes.Dwight is a long-time Lakesider. His parents were youth workers at Lakeside before they married in1933. Although they did not smoke, they saved what they would have spent on cigarettes (25 cents aday) to purchase the land and materials for the cottage at 417 W. Fifth Street in 1952, provided theydid all the work themselves. As young boys, Dwight and his brother, Dean, helped their father build“Kings Corner 1.”Dwight brought his girlfriend, Alice, to Lakeside when she was 16 years old, and she was hooked. Thecouple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2014 at Lakeside with family and friends.

502 Lynn Ave. – “Kings Corner 3”Dwight & Alice KingBuilt around 1880, this Victorian home, called “Kings Corner 3,” was originally a farmhouse. It isbelieved to be one of the first four houses in Lakeside.The kitchen is modern and wonderful. The cottage even has a spa tub. The previous owners hiredZimmerman Construction to complete the renovation in 2002. The living room floor is bamboo, andwas laid by the Kings and their friends after they purchased it in 2008, as the original pine floor couldnot be restored.The second floor is pretty much in the original shape, although redecorated, and there is no upstairsbath. The second floor “sleeping porches” provide a beautiful view of nearby properties.This home has a garage, which houses the Kings’ restored 1957 Thompson wooden boat. The couplehopes to have the boat, along with Dwight’s wood-working shop, on display for the Tour of Homes.The Kings purchased 519 Lynn Avenue (“Kings Corner 2”) in 1996. The previous owner had watchedDwight build his cottage with his parents as her parents had built theirs, and the families grewclose. When her children were not interested in taking over the cottage, she immediately thought ofthe Kings.Not realizing the time difference (the Kings live in Australia), she phoned the couple at 3 a.m. to see ifthey were interested. They purchased it sight- unseen as a turn-key. It had olive green shag carpetand cabinets made from packing crates, but has since been updated.

608 Lynn Ave. – “Joan’s Jem”Drs. Mare & Greg BlackLoss and grief brought the Drs. Mare and Greg Black to Lakeside. Their two oldest children –Ryan, 10, and Lauren, 7 – died tragically in March 1989. Their pastor, Frank Ellis, urged them to visitLakeside. Mare and Greg came and were smitten.Fortunately, they found solace in Lakeside then and still do today. Greg’s mother, Joan (Grandi) Lilga,who moved to Lakeside from Buffalo, N.Y. to be closer to family, bought this cottage from Betty andWillis Jackson in 1998.Joan was an amazing woman who only got to enjoy Lakeside for three years before suffering from astroke. She bequeathed the home to the Blacks, who rebuilt it for their surviving children – Amelia,Grace and Annalise – and grandchildren to enjoy in her honor; hence the name “Joan’s Jem.”The couple chose a French country cottage theme since Joan collected French Quimper Pottery.Joan’s Blue Room, Ryan’s Baseball Room and Lauren’s Purple Paradise capture the essence andmemory of their dearly departed.The family is trying to lower its eco-footprint, so alternatives to standard methods were chosen:bamboo for flooring and ceiling fans, and crushed paper for the countertops.Greg enjoys fires, so the stacked stone fireplace and patio fire pit are his inspiration. The“breezeway” concept was resurrected from his childhood spent at his grandparents’ river cottage inPennsylvania.Greg, the cook in the family, designed the kitchen (closed to traffic) with an open French café feel.He wanted a sustainable, yet maintenance-free, landscape, so “Stepables” were planted in place of alawn along with easy perennials.Mare loves to sew, make glass art, visit resale shops and keep herself busy with projects, so sheenjoyed planning the décor. But most of all, the Blacks look forward to entertaining grandchildrenhere in Lakeside, at their “lil’ slice of heaven.”

604 Walnut Ave. – “Miriam’s Mansion”Susan & T. Mac HoodSusan’s mother, Miriam W. Crawford, looked for a small one-story cottage for a couple of years. In1987, she purchased “Miriam’s Mansion” on Walnut Avenue and completely remodeled it. She gave itto Susan in 1994. It is believed that the cottage was built in the early 1920s, with additions made forthe kitchen and bath.Susan married Rev. Dr. T. Mac Hood, a retired Methodist minister from the Texas conference, onOctober 10, 2010. Both had lost their spouses.Susan and Mac continue that tradition of flying the Texas flag while “in residence,” just as Susan’smother did.When Susan took ownership, there were two bedrooms and the hall bath. In 2014, Susan and Macremodeled to have a bigger bedroom and a full bath. The old bath is now a half bath.Susan lived in France when her father was in the Army, which inspired the French kitchen furniture.Other antique furniture in the cottage is from Susan’s family. Miriam’s needlework and paintingsremain in the cottage.Susan was introduced to Lakeside while visiting her cousin, Bonnalee Behnken, who lives on WalnutAvenue, and her cousin once-removed, Brent Behnken, owner of The Patio Restaurant.Susan and her mother continued to visit Lakeside with her late husband, Dr. William K. Browning, andtheir son, Cade. Cade, his wife, Katie, and their two sons, Barrett and Bede, bought their owncottage, as “Miriam’s Mansion” is too small for the entire family.

515 Maple Ave. – “Wabi Sabi”Mary Ann & Dave StephensMary Ann and Dave Stephens’ cottage, “Wabi Sabi”, was built in the late 1800s, when Lakeside wasfirst being established.The name “Wabi Sabi” is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature,of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay and death. It is simple, slow and uncluttered, and itreveres authenticity above all. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time,weather and loving use leave behind. Through “Wabi Sabi,” people learn to embrace aging – rust andfrayed edges – and the march of time they represent. This is a very appropriate way to view Lakesideand the old homes.The Stephens have remodeled with that in mind and always accepted the history of their home whenplanning.The cottage was adjacent to the original train route, which was located on Fifth Street. The wing,added much later to the original house, was used as a bakery for Lakeside residents and guests.Patrons would enter through the side door, facing Maple Avenue and step up to the counter topurchase their baked goods. The bakery now serves as the family room for the cottage.The out building, in the back of the side yard, has functioned as a storage unit and a stained glassworkshop. The family converted it into a bunkhouse for guests, adding a kitchenette, bathroom and airconditioning. The kitchen and dining room of the main house were redesigned in the winter of 2014and provide an open floor plan.Mary Ann is very proud of her folk art angel collection, many of which have been given to her byfriends. Dave is equally proud of his wooden pheasant.

311 Lynn Ave. – “Summer Soulstice”Cindy & Ron Knepp“Summer Soulstice” is named for the long days of summer and the fact that being at Lakesidesoothes one’s soul.Cindy Knepp has been coming to Lakeside since she was 3 years old. Her parents rented this cottage,so they wrote the owners asking if they would be interested in selling. Cindy’s parents purchased itin 1976 for only 13,500. The first recorded name on the deed was John Rice who sold it on August8, 1894. There were 10 owners after that, some of whom were relatives who inherited it. Cindy andRon are the 12th owners.The cottage was built in Balloon Framing Style. The Gothic windows and doors are original. The vinylvertical siding was added, yet matched the original boards, which were vertical. The main bath hasan outhouse theme. The front porch theme is birdhouses, while the back eating porch is afishing/boating theme.Cindy and Ron wanted the cottage to reflect family. In the dining room, there are pictures of Cindy’smom and dad as babies. There are paintings of the cottage and her parents’ home painted by BarbyBright.The stained glass windows on the doors upstairs and in the dining room are based on the artwork ofCindy’s grandfather. He went to art school in Romania in the early 1900s and came to America byhimself at the age of 15, leaving his twin sister and parents behind. There is a photograph in thedining room of Cindy’s grandfather dressed as Uncle Sam on stilts, a role he played in many parades.Cindy worked at the Hotel Lakeside as a waitress in the summer of 1977. Her sister, Chandi, workedthere as well for several summers.Ron would come up on weekends to visit Cindy. He loved Lakeside from the beginning. The couple’stwo children, Lee and Erika, enjoy summer visits to Lakeside. Chandi and family often come for visits,too. Ron and Cindy are both retired teachers. Their son, Lee, is also a teacher, which allows for soulsoothing time during the summer.

161 Walnut Ave. – “Green Gables”Home of the Lakeside Women’s ClubThe Hubbard family built this Gothic cottage with steep gables in the shape of a Greek cross in 1883.In 1884, Mary Cook purchased the cottage, and in 1893, signed the lease over to her sister, Alice.The cottage was used as a boarding house for many years and then stood empty until 1928. ArthurHoover persuaded Alice to sell the cottage to Lakeside to be used as a women’s club, with his wife,Bessie, serving as the founding president.Lakeside repainted the cottage inside and out, and Bessie gave furniture from the Hoover home acrossthe street at 205 Park Row, most notably the parlor wicker set.Changes to the cottage included enlarging the front porch in 1947 to create a meeting room with thefunds raised by members.The main floor powder room was added in 1968. A new foundation and flooring were added in 1990,followed by a new roof and exterior painting in 1991. The meeting room was named in honor of EleanorDurr in 1991. The east garden was planted in 2005.In 2012, excavation below the front meeting room enabled six concrete pillars to be poured with a newfoundation. Changes in 2014 include planted perennial gardens, kitchen and powder room renovationsand new carpet.The original Gothic windows, the ornate barge-board roof trim and gingerbread gable pendants havebeen kept intact through decades of renovations.Guests are invited to visit the library, parlor, guest rooms (for women age 18 and older) and theclubroom. Shop at the Corner Cupboard, and join the Lakeside Women’s Club for the season or a day.The four guest rooms available in Green Gables are each named after a character in Lucy MaudMontgomery’s famous book, Anne of Green Gables. On the day of the tour, Green Gables will be closedfrom 12-1 p.m.

The name “Wabi Sabi” is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay and death. It is simple, slow and uncluttered, and it reveres authenticity above all. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the ot