A Lost Curry House—Found!

Anyone who has restored, or even explored, a really old building has hoped to find treasure. I am no exception. Seven years ago, when I started restoring this century-old family home, I couldn’t wait to pry open a fireplace that had been boarded up for who knows how long. It was an HGTV video-worthy moment, and you can bet I was hoping to find a briefcase full of cash or gold bars!

There was, in fact, a locked briefcase inside, old and promising. But as I broke the lock and opened it, I found only documents and bank receipts for money long ago spent.

It’s funny, though, how these oddities unfold. Fast-forward six years, and I’m finally finishing the old family house, a 1912 Sears-style bungalow with a massive front porch with a view of the bay. It has been a long and tedious labor of love. One of the final projects, a big one, was hiring a flooring carpenter to repair, sand, stain, and refinish the original hard pine wood floors. We lifted the transitions in preparation and found signatures in lead pencil: “W.V. Curry Bradentown, Fla.”

I knew of the Curry family's legacy in Bradenton and in our neighborhood, Point Pleasant. John Curry and his descendants are largely credited for urbanizing Bradenton in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I often jog to Curry Park a few blocks away in the evenings to watch the sun set over Manatee River. It is magical. My historic home is only a few blocks west of the renowned Curry Houses National Register Historic District, too. I should have expected this!

I returned to the old briefcase of disappointment, and to my delight, uncovered a handwritten proposal dated November 16, 1909, from W.V. Curry to build this home for Mr. R.B. Johnson, my “grandmother” Vivienne’s dad.

The other papers, too, found new meaning. Architectural plans, bids for paint, scripted beautifully on custom letterhead. I guess there was a treasure in that boarded-up fireplace, after all. There was HISTORY and evidence that my home has historical significance as one of the few remaining residences built by the John Curry family!

Now, my seven-year restoration is complete. I have repaired and restored nearly everything inside and out, with the help of many skilled carpenters, contractors, and tradesmen. Cedar shakes were replaced on the exterior of the home, having been beaten by the salt air and sun for 115 years. The original, weighted double-hung windows and French doors still feature the vintage poured-glass that bends the light. The wood floors and wainscoting shine the way they once did. She looks beautiful again.

Grandpa Rule, also a builder, used to say that a house has a feeling to it, a story all its own. I know that is true, and it is time for this home to have a new life. It has been listed for sale for the first time ever, and we are inviting you inside.

Come see how houses were crafted a hundred years ago. Come see the historical documents and unroll the architectural blueprints. Thanks to Jonathan Torkos at the Manatee Historical Records Library, we even have the Manatee River Journal article from October 5, 1911, announcing the build.

My favorite things about 1550 3rd Ave W:

• The view of bay from the living room and the sea breeze on the front porch
• The generous glass windows with natural imperfections that bend the light
• The dark patina on the wainscoting wood
• The original door handles with skeleton keys
• The story that this old house tells, and its adventures still to come

Click here to see the home's listing with additional photos.