I thought I might add these two pictures that I had scanned in a long time ago. It was on this very porch that I think I remember mom kissing me goodbye as they left for the hospital on the day Valerie was born. (see previous post about Valerie).
Not sure on the dates of these pictures but I believe that we lived in this house from 1956 to 1962. This house had three little bedrooms, a living/dining area, a bathroom and a kitchen. It was a prefab house that was built by the government to house scientists and their families as they built Hanford. There were lots of houses with the exact floor plan. I think the washer was in the kitchen and no dryer, just a very big clothesline in back. I slept in a bunkbed with Robin in the smallest room and Valerie shared a room with Todd and Mike after she arrived. We had an old piano which Mom played at night when we were in bed. Many classic piano pieces still remind me of being a child laying on the top bunk listening to her playing.
A funny memory of the house I have is that there was not a back door but there was a type of opening that we could climb in and out of. Does anyone else have a memory about that? Dad...was there really a door and I just remember it wrong?
Another piece of Giberson trivia to track down.............
6 comments:
Nice pictures. I remember jumping off that half wall on the front porch using blankets or umbrellas as a makeshift parachute.
That explains a lot, Todd. ;D
(Judy) I can remember YOU jumping off, Todd, but I don't have memories of doing it myself.
I am not sure if comments will print off when we publish a bood copy of this year, so I am going to post a post about posting memories from the Longfitt House. One of things I want to do is have this be a history--current and past of us. Be sure you post.
Now what about the opening in the back of that house???......
Yes, we all know just how (in)effective a blanket or umbrella would be at slowing my descent.
I'm not sure about the back door issue. I do remember playing behind the house and once stepping on a nail sticking out of a board. I remember playing with a boy in the neighborhood named Dennis Roach (I think) but one of my stronger memories was playing with a guy named Mike Wallace (if any remember him) who lived a block or two away. What I particularly remember is that his mother smoked and drank coffee and looked old and wrinkly. I attributed her appearance to the fact that she smoked and drank coffee, not thinking at the time that his mother might really have just been old compared to MY mom (who, of course, was in her 20's and young and beautiful).
Regarding the particulars of the house, I checked with a source I had seen before about the original housing built in Richland. (see http://hanford.houses.tripod.com/ - click on the "3 br prefab" at the bottom of the page)
The "C-1 3-bedroom Prefab" is the only house of those listed which matches our Longfitt house. As you click to see details of the house, you will see the half-wall at the front porch and will note from the floor plan the existence of an outside closet there at the front porch as well, as can be seen in the pictures of Mom and Dad. The floor plan does not show any back door access in this style of home. THe link from that page (Narrative) indicates homes had sold for no more than $1,650 in the mid-fifties.
Yes, they were pretty cheap. When we "sold it" in 62 it seems like we got a round double the figure Todd listed.
I remember the Roach name, but not the other one.
Judy why don't you try a little test run for your projected history print out to see how things go?
Post a Comment