History 21 The Podcast - 1.16 This Old House with Dillon and Kristin

Serving as the most recent guardians of their 150 year old home on Ferry St. in Anoka, Dillon and Kristin Cords join a list of familiar names including Woodbury and Goodrich on their property abstract. In this episode of History 21, they share their joys and frustrations of living in an old home, their restoration journey, and some fun things they found inside the walls…along with a few surprise guest visitors who might just frequent the property still.

Hosts Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director; Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator; and Erin McBrien, ACHS Archivist.

Follow along on their journey

This podcast begins our story with Dillon and Kristin as they renovate their home across from the Mad Hatter tea house. Soon you’ll be able to visit the artifacts they mention in a display at the history museum and watch videos of the work as it unfolds. Ready to pick up a few remodeling tips? Curious about what it’s like to live in one of first wooden homes in Anoka? Perfect. You’re in the right place!

Check out some photos of their progress and the items they have found along the way below.

History 21: The Vault Extras

Read Albert Goodrich’s (Previous home owner) book History of Anoka County and the Towns of Champlin and Dayton in Hennepin County Minnesota. Published 1905.

Vault Extras

Anoka County Library Minute

· Code Check 9th ed. (690.8 HAN) – This spiral-bound item allows for quick reference to the most current code provisions. It emphasizes the safety principles behind building codes and includes many citations to the International Residential Code, the Uniform Plumbing Code, Uniform Mechanical Code, and the National Electrical Code in a handy flip chart format.

· Ultimate Guide to Home Repair and Improvement (revised edition) by Charles T. Byers (643.7 ULT) – Contains the wisdom the This Old House crew has gained over the years. While this updated edition was published in 2016, a third update will be published in October 2021.

· Old Home Love by Candis and Andy Meredith (747 MER) – Based on the HGTV reality series, the Merediths include details and photos of 15 renovation projects they’ve completed, including the work they did on their own house.

· The House with Sixteen Handmade Doors: A Tale of Architectural Choice and Craftsmanship by Henry Petroski (728.37 PET). Petroski, a civil engineering professor, recounts his experience restoring an old house in coastal Maine. As he works, he tries to uncover the story of the house’s original design by closely examining the materials and unusual construction. Those who have completed a restoration of their own house will appreciate the detail Petroski includes about his vacation home. Contains beautiful photographs taken by his wife, Catherine.

· This Old House (Magazines) – Published quarterly.

· Haunted Home Renovation Mystery series by Juliet Blackwell (MYSTERY BLA). Melanie Turner encounters ghosts at the Bay Area job sites she visits working at her father’s construction company. Can she partner with them to solve crime? In addition to a rescue dog, there’s a lot of interesting details about old house restoration and San Francisco history. The 8 volumes in this cozy mystery series can be read out of sequence but are better read in order. Start with the first, If Walls Could Talk.