I live in a home that was once a brick manufacturer along the Hudson River. Kingston, NY once had many brick companies because the clay was perfect for making bricks. I live where Goldrick bricks were once made and in Mr. Philip Goldrick's home. Some information about him and the company is here on this site...
A few months ago I was asked by the Town of Saugerties to have my home on the Saugerties historic home tour. At first I said "no" mostly because I didn't think my home looked like other "historic" homes in the area and also because I really did not know what to expect. The people on the commission addressed all my concerns and made me feel like it would be a great worthwhile experience.
Being a Realtor I looked at the opportunity to also meet possible future clients. Expecting about 200 people, I didn't want to just hand each person a card and had to think of a more creative way to get everyond my contact information. After a lot of thinking, I came up with making chocolate Goldrick brick bars with my card attached to the wraper!
My neighbors Marion Boxer and Jason Boxer found out about the tour and really were not happy we were doing it, (well, they never really ARE happy about ANYTHING). I explained to them that there would be a small bus taking small groups to the house all day and it would never be crowded, but they told me, "we have been on these tours and they are very invasive. The people go through your drawers, destroy property, and have no respect for the home owners". They had a survey done and started to park their cars in a way to make the whole tour difficult for any flow of parking. As the tour got closer I started to wonder if they had a good point and started to get anxious about my descision. Were the (peronoid) Boxers right? Was this going to be the nightmare they promised?
Nothing could have been further from the truth. On the day of the tour, small groups of people were bussed in. The bus had no problems turning around, (even after the Boxers did all they could to block off my road). People all day were just beyond grateful for my hospitality, respectful, and cociderate of my home and really loved learning it's history from all the voulenteers working. Saugerties even had a woman, (Anna Serravallo) who was in her 90s and worked in the brickyards and sat on my porch telling the most fascinating stories of life back then!
One thing we have always known about Goldrick bricks was that they were used in building the original Yankee Stadium! Looking online you can find the bricks from the stadium selling for big money!
What a great expierence and honor it was to be part of such a cool event! It was pretty strange having groups of people walk through my home with voulenteers telling them all about the home I live in...sureal.
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My house...
It's so funny because Marion Boxer Seidler and her husband Jason told us when we were planning the tour in May, "well, we value our privacy". Since the tour, they have been parking closer and closer to our front door, (to harass us for being WRONG about the wonderful tour event)! The more they are ignored, the more they cry for attention. It's a great lesson for my clients in how to spot crazy neighbors!
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