Wow! That is one gorgeous house. I can't wait to see what you do with it.

Oh wow. Lots of treasures there (and lots of scary things, too). I'm going to have to show Hubby some of these pics so he can get a feel for where my tastes lie. (No, not the violet octopus...)

Can't wait to see more.

Wowza! What an amazing place. (I can feel your goosebumps from here.)

What a great house! Love the sweeping staircase. I can't wait to see how you transform it into an igloo masterpiece. Do you have a closing date?

Lovely bones -- and some wonderful items!

It will be a HUGE project -- but all the planning and hard work will certainly result in a true treasure!

Jan

Wow, you will turn it into a showplace if you decide to purchase it. Is it a B&B now?

How fabulous! I love the light fixtures! The kitchen looks like such a great, light-filled space, kinda a surprise after looking at the heaviness of the other rooms.

The way it is now perfectly shows the best and worst of Victorian design and decor. I can't wait to see what you do. It know it will be fantastic

I'd love to attend a doll-decapitating party; I enjoyed that pastime as a child.

Looks like a B&B I stayed in in Port Townsend, WA. Beautiful!

wow igloo!!! what a time piece.. such a beautiful grand ol' girl! can't stop the drool .. a house after my heart! best of luck in your new home.. it will be totally amazing when your finished..can't wait to see!
any exterior photo's??
Ree

ps.. you gave a great tour.. a lot of good laughs.. you really cracked me up :)

lazy, it probably was :) This is the outside:

Ok lets finish our tour :) I'm glad you all like it. I adore the house, and don't mind taking it on as a full time job (which it will be for many years). We hope to be a positive part of it's history and because it's an important house (has a fun and wonderful history) we want to bring it back to it's glory in a somewhat lighter way :) Flowers must go LOL

Let's see, this is the future nursery or guest room if we aren't successful filling up the nursery:
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That room actually looked much better in person than it photographs. If you take down the cheap lace and remove the wicker goober I think you could leave it as is (aside from removing the carpet and restoring the floors). We have a huge oriental in the garage from DH's texas home in burgundy and pink which would be perfect in here.

Then you have DS's new suite at the end of the hall. It's a bit pink and flowery for a little boy obsessed by trains but I love the set up and it has a very nice sized bathroom with a tub (verses the above bedroom that was going to be his which just has a shower in the bathroom).
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I like to think this will be an area where we contain the toys (the raised carpet area) wishful thinking I'm sure..
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Then this is the other side of the room (it's long and narrow) with a queen size bed in it. I think if I go to a full or twin it will work well.
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Then the servants stairs...let's take those since we're in the back of the house anyhoo...watch your step!
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There are four bedrooms on this floor as well. We'll probably keep these closed up except for when we have guests. We also might move around floor to floor as we get some of the heavy remodeling done.
Two rooms have water views, and this one has the best (they call it the bridal suite). That tub will go, but we'll leave the plumbing in the walls capped off incase we sell to someone operating as a B&B (no that's not our intention so far because it's a huge money loser).
This one has great views from the turret but the wall paper is peeling (which is probably a good thing) and that bed is far too big for the room...it's a king, we'll go to queen and eventually this will be the main guest room I think.
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The other room with a view:
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There's a tiny little shower room in the hall that guests shared. We'd leave it as we'll be taking out the bath in the guest room and it's kind of cute. The lower portion of the walls feels like tin. It's cool stuff. The showers are all like these though and have to go (we'll go with simple hex tile or subway or marble as appropriate to the house)
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Another upstairs (3rd floor) room:
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and the last, and most floral if that's possible...
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Then in the basement there is an innkeepers apt. It's charming (because it's all beautiful brick foundation walls) but otherwise terrible, dirty, bleh and depressing with low ceilings and mismatched cabinets thrown in. We'll gut that and probably throw my mother down there when she's old and crotchety (she is reading this LOL)

Pool room:
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Innkeepers bedroom (it's ok and will be our work out room first out, and the balance will be a downstairs bar and my sewing room until we have to take the old lady in). We have discussed putting her up in the tower suite and sking her to howl like a wolf when guests stay...hauntings are so charming.... (SMOOCHES MOMMY!!!) I adore my mother for those who believe what I'm typing LOL
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Outside there is a gazebo which has a hot tub in it. It's dirty and unkept and has some wood rot and needs a new roof. We would have to establish the cost to fix it and weigh that before we put much into it. I don't believe it's an original structure (if it is it has to be replaced) but we'd like to take the hot tub out and make it into a play house for DS when it's raining.
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The house is right in the city, yet when I was taking pics of the carriage house (part of the house next door now) I had to wait for these guys to move away before I could walk down the sidewalk:
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The grape arbor out front is in similar disrepair and we know it's not original. It's rotted very badly, and given that it's only 20 years or so old (from pics that we can find) I think it may go and we'll go with what the house looked like years ago (we have a great book about port townsend victorians it was featured in during the 70's).

We are gathering the financials before we make an offer. The fireplaces could be a big expense so we have to have them checked, and the paint bids I'm getting are all coming in around thirty grand OUCH!!!

What a gem Igloo. If you leave the dresses on the wall with a fan blowing under them you could have one awesome haunted house for Halloween.

this house never ends..huge! It truly is gorgeous..love the water in front..it has it all! Best of luck!!
Ree

Welcome to western Washington igloo! The house is beautiful and looks great for your family.

Port Townsend is a great little town, very picturesque. I think that's where they filmed part of an Officer and a Gentleman. We showed up and tried to take the ferry while they were filming at night. Didn't see Richard Gere though.

Yes it is where they filmed Officer and a Gentleman. My exBIL is in the film, as is my uncle, cousin and several friends. I was a senior in highschool the year it was made and the cast was all involved with our local rhododendron festival (except for winger...she's a witch). Richard pushes a mean bed...unfortunately I wasn't on that one but I was on the one that went faster than his :oP (Victorian bed races...what were you all thinking?) heh heh

OMG! It's beautiful! Do you catch yourself grinning just from the anticipation of it all?

How wonderful for your family!

Thank you all for the sweet comments. I really am excited about moving back closer to mom even if it's on a snowbird basis (my son and I have to move away from Alaska during the cold and flu season...DH will be with us every other week while we're in Port Townsend). This will allow DS to be able to go to school and play with other children, which is a big thing to us.

You know, I grew up in the town, in a few of the victorians, but not one so large and grand. This is rather surreel to me really. But really exciting as well. Having been exposed to Victorians all of my life, I've always wanted one of my own to play with. This one comes with extra responsability (at least in our minds) because of it's history (and it's on the national and state historic register as a priority property). DH loves to entertain, so I know he'll fill up that dinning room many times.

One of the things we liked about this as opposed to the other five we looked at in PT is that it's not only a fun entertaining home with all of those open parlors/dining/library etc on the main level, and the pool room, but it's also a nice family home. We can live on the second floor easily. Many of the homes we looked at were akward when you considered daily living. Either bedrooms miles from the main part of the house, or a couple on one floor and two or three in the attics. The other good thing going for it is that the bathrooms aren't "IN" the bedrooms as you often see in Victorian B&B's like the tub in the upstairs room...and there are a couple sinks in the rooms we'll remove as well).

I live in mortal fear of the responsability of the place and the cleaning bill because I know I can't do it all LOL I suppose I could if I dedicated my life to cleaning..but ummm that's NOT going to happen!

We're going to allow some public access to the home, because I think it's a sin when treasures get locked up after purchases, and I do hope this will be a treasure :)

Funny thing...this is second best to the house we really wanted (In Duluth). I don't know if I ever posted those pics...It's french rennisance and ohhh laa laaa fabulous. Unfortunately the owner wouldn't price it within it's value and had to eventually take it off the market. We still compare every house to that beautiful home...and if this one is surreal...I don't even know how to describe how owning that one would have felt...maybe like living in someone's fairy tale :)

My best wishes for soooo much joy and fulfillment in that gorgeous house and yes, you'll use that room for a nursery for sure. That house is lucky to have you as we all know it's going to be something really special.

So, with all that clutter I'm sure you'll have no problems handing over that gorgeous round marble table, the red velvet chaise, the china hutch and a few of those lighting fixtures, no? I'll even force myself to take that pink light in the pink room.

Can't wait to see what you do with this place. It is so nice.

What a wonderful home. A lot of work (wallpaper removal as you noted) but what a creative adventure it will be. The outside is fantastic.
How fun! Cannot wait to see what you do with it.

Wow, what a gorgeous house and the location is amazing. Best wishes, enjoy your new endeavor.

Beautiful house! I hope you get it so we can see the transformation!!

All I can say OMGosh! That is ONE BIG HOUSE.
I am sure you already know that. hehehe. Where on earth do you start with something so ginormous? Congratulations and I look forward to you posting more pics in the future. And now I will go back and look at the ones already posted and try and take some more in.
PS, I will take the purple carpet, just kidding. Well not really. lol. I would put in on the ceiling of the bathroom.
Now I AM KIDDING!

The second set of photos were even larger than the first! That house is humongous!It needs a family again.
My Mom grew up in a large victorian in MD that her greatgrandfather( physician)had built.I was able to visit when we moved back here in the 70s. Much of the furniture was like in your home tour.And the layout is similar.The kitchen was much smaller with a woodburning stove on which I fixed french toast for my great uncle( he was 86 and still worked the farm) when I visited.
Your post brings back fond memories. The house was torn downin the 80s after he died( at the age of 98) and the land is now an industrial park.
I still think about the Duluth house, Now that is a dream house. Maybe if I will Lotto I will buy it and you can come vist. LOL

Reminds me of my grandparent's Victorian farmhouse in NY state, but on a muuuuuuch larger scale, of course! They had 6 of those um, lovely, flowered wallpaper bedrooms, too! What a fascinating project for you! I can't wait to see what you do with it.

I do hope you get it. Not only will it be wonderful for you and the family, but think of the years of enjoyment we will have watching you transform it.

Do you have any pictures you could post of the house in it's younger years?

I love the outside of the house and the kitchen is wonderful.

Have you checked at what the heating bills will be? I guess if you have to ask, well...

You will have fun making your house into a grand home. You must quite young, Igloo.

At any rate, it is gorgeous and I hope you get it.

.....Jane

...and just think how pretty it will be once you paint all that old dark wood WHITE!
....kidding!!!!! I am so in love with that beautiful wood, the staircase, all the wonderful nooks and crannies. Such a storybook house..sigh.

Wow, just wow! Beautiful home with so many treasures. I will get in line for ice box to die for & the little marble table. Will it all be personal home or are you thinking of B&B? I hope a transaction runs smoothly.

LMAO I'm saving the purple carpet now...and I expect to see pics of the ceiling in that bathroom posted so we can all see the "umm interesting" "I never would have thought of that" etc comments come in LOL

I don't have pics of the house aside from a post card we purchased on ebay and the PT architecture book, but I know there are several at the historical society, and several also come with the house, so when we have them we'll share since they will be our restoration inspirations :)

One thing I like about the house is it's entirely livable as is. Instead of needing to do a major overhaul to move in (as several needed) we can tackle one room at a time. I imagine we'll bounce around from room to room as we work on the rooms we plan on living in full time in the future. But that will be fun :)

Heh heh, yes we've checked out the heat bill, and the taxes etc. It's actually less expensive to operate than our Duluth dream home was, but we're going to do a couple things to help that out, the first being we'll change out the wood stoves for swedish stoves (which burn less wood but produce long term heat). We had thought of putting in a wood cook stove in the kitchen Sue but unfortunately they're not terribly efficient (though charming). We can buy a period or period style sweedish tile stove that will be lovely as well and apprpriate for the house.

The nice thing about this house is that when it was built in 1880 the owner went bankrupt after getting the shell done and the first floor. He lost it several years later (to the local tax collector) and the upper floors were finished in the early 1890's so the house is actually not "just" victorian in style but has some transitional feel as well as you head up the stairs. That gives us more leway as we restore and decrate than a high style victorian would. (Ya'll need to study your victorian decor...I'm going to want lots of opinions as we do this room by room LOL)

Pb...you may have those pieces, IF you also take the purple flower room, lock stock and barrel and put it in your kitchen. There will be a little carpet missing because it will be on someone's bathroom ceiling...(heh heh misty)

LOL On the quite young remark...we're a young family (with a 3 year old and hopefully a baby joining us) but we're actually pretty old :oP Almost ancient...in our mid 40's :oP One of the reason's we want a big house is that we want to be the hang out house for DS and his friends. I can't remember who said they make it a point to do that (someone here) but it's a great way to know what the kids are up to and to learn a bit about his friends.

Ok calling painters again....bye bye

Well, if that's the price I have to pay...

Only problem is there's no way that purple bedroom would fit in our kitchen.

Would you settle for me adapting the pieces to the (also tiny) guest room?

I'm so glad I saw this, somehow missed it earlier! I always love your posts/responses, igloo.

What a GEM! simply stunning structure that needs some, um...love.

How did anyone ever think, "yeah, let's put the wallpaper on the ceiling, too, it'll really make the room 'flow'" LOL

Maybe I can use some of that purple carpet and put it in my new purple dining room...hee hee

I grew up in an old colonial with a servant's stairwell - one that I fell down multiple times - ouch - careful on those things!

I can't wait to see this unfold!!!

Whoa ... Igloo, this place is simply incredible! I can hardly wait to see how you put your stamp on it. It's going to be even more wonderful, I'm sure! Wow!

Wow, what a great project and you're just the person who can do it! I love that light fixture with the grapes dripping off of it and your clawfoot tubs. Awesome fireplaces, I lost count. How many? Equally disturbing as the dolls was the stuffed pheasant....ew!

I love the fact that you'll allow some limited access. I do appreciate historic houses, and they don't have to be mansions for that matter. I just like history. Many times when I'm in a new town or city I will find a historic home that's open for tours, for me it's like reading a book and letting my imagination run wild. (Did you see Glensheen while you were in Duluth? It's one of my favorites.)

Oh, and the outside and the views are stunning! Best wishes.

Now this is an Igloo house for sure! Just beautiful. Lots of rooms for you to slowly redecorate with oodles of pics and postings for your GW friends to be inspired by. I am so happy for you to be able to be near your mom and in your childhood town where you can give DS the best environment for his health. And I saw some amazing light fixtures that looked very igloolike. Best wishes in your new home :)

My sweet northern friend I am so crazy excited for you! I am also so crazy envious of your energy ... holy cow you are amazing. Both laddies are napping right now and after this I am going to lie down as well -- a zillion other things I "should" be doing but sleep beckons, and I'm nothing if not a good listener. Well, when it's what I want to hear, that is.

As I was poking through your photos and reading your responses one of my initial thoughts was "wow, it looks as if you can live in it now and tackle it as you see fit," and then I got to your post saying that v. thing! I love that you'll have no pressure except to live and enjoy, and see your sweet son get to have the social life we all want for our kiddos. (100% do I get that. I really do.)

I know, from one parent of a toddler with special needs to another, that you'll understand and truly believe me when I tell you how extraordinarily excited I am for you. I actually have tears in my eyes right now, thinking of everything this house will mean to your family.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful moment with us!

xo

Igloochic, this is your mother speaking, and you must throw me down to the innkeepers quarters immediately!

Oh my goodness - what a beautiful home and what a huge project!!! You're in for a longgggg one aren't you? But you can do a room at a time!

Igloo

Thank you for sharing this magnificent home and moment - Hope you & dh are successful in getting the home, when will you know?

What exposure does the house have? N,S, E, W

Love those large Victorian windows - hope they are in good repair - You have been honing your window treatment skills - now you can get some really nice new florals;)

All I kept thinking through the tour was imagine the amount of dust on everything in there!

Lovely bones & you will work your magic turning it into a home and a beauty that it once was - Looks as though most of the offensive stuff is superficial

Best of luck

Awesome place. I am just south of Portland - I'd be happy to drive up and take anything 'off your hands' for you! That looks like a lot of fun for the years to come. Hope it all works out for you! Kris

Love the transom stained glass window - gorgeous

Wow--sure glad I'm poor and can't afford it.
Because I got Exhausted just looking at the pics and thinking of all the things that needed done. :-)

Can't wait to see what you'd do w/ it Igloo. This & making babies too? Man, what drugs are you on? ;->

Keep us posted. I'm sure it would end up looking incredible. :-D

I saw the photos of this masterpiece the first time around but was thrilled to sit through a more extensive tour - even if I had to remove my boots. Ha!

newdawn, when we bought our house, the heating/lights/water bill here was more than our old house's mortgage!

igloochick, you will have to put in intercoms for DS and any future ice cubes...
My kids were young when we moved into our house and they would loose me. My house isn't nearly as big as your will be. We painted our house for $17,000. You have one lifetime project ahead of you.

Gosh, Ig, it's so nice that you're sending that chandelier with the grapes to me. I really appreciate it. On second thought, let me come up and retrieve it myself. I'll help you look at that VIEW.

What a beautiful old house, and so big. What a great view, you must be so excited to move in. Will be looking forward to see the progress in all your rooms. Evelyn

It's a beautiful home, with so much character! I'm particularly in love with some of the light fixtures. I'll be anxious to see what you do with it, too (I think it definitely will suit you! :)

This home has SO much potential!!!! You and your DH have the vision to bring it up to your excellent taste.

Just think of the fun it will be to carefully and thoughtfully go through all the furnishings and other items left behind that speak to you. I'd rather do that than to remove wallpaper!!! LOL

Good luck on the purchase of the house and on your other project of babymaking.

Wow! It's fabulous! By the way, RE: "There's a tiny little shower room in the hall that guests shared...The lower portion of the walls feels like tin. It's cool stuff."
Maybe it's tin, but I suspect Lincrusta:
http://www.lincrusta.com/TheLincrustaCollection_Product.Asp?CollectionName=DadoPanels&ProductCode=RD1950

Best wishes!-Penny

oh my goodness, Igloo. I am brewing you the first of many, many pots of coffee, to keep you going through all the sleepless nights of pulling wallpaper down off the ceilings and yanking up purple carpeting. (I'll toss a little whisky in the coffee every now and then, don't worry!) You are a madwoman to take on a project like this -- but I can imagine Jesse growing up with that ocean around him... sigh. It's going to be gorgeous when you're done with it. I remain in awe of your energy and ambition!