If you need to back up, make sure to check out the History of Content Part 1 + Part 2 first.
Truth be told there is so much more, detailed information about this story. Maybe I'll write a book one day. But in the meantime, here's Part 3.
Based on her family's first hand accounts, Lucy Wilson, Content's former owner, was a force to be reckoned with. As a Councilwoman in Long Branch, Lucy made a career of having her voice heard. She was said to have been vivacious, strong willed and opinionated.
With that, it is no surprise that when the town took the property, on which Content. had sat for 75 years back through eminent domain, Lucy had something to say!
According to court documents, the land was run down and the majority of the cottages along the Shrewsbury River, which once served as summer retreats, were lacking even the most basic plumbing.
Content. however, had been updated from its summer cottage days. Historically, the house only had one bathroom, but running water had always been pumped from the courtyards center well.
Instead of giving up and losing Content, which she so deeply loved, Lucy decided to move Content.
In 1962, Content. experienced a reportedly, 2-week long process in which it was cut in three sections, lifted onto blocks, a rail system was constructed, and Content was successfully moved across the street to its current location.
The image below is an awesome architectural plan created to show the new layout of Content on the new property post move from the River's edge.
We are so fortunate, as Lucy documented this tremendous process, from start to finish, through a series of photos and slides which we were gifted.
From these photos and slides, we now know that the house was raised again in the 1970s, even further, to the current height it stands today. That additional undertaking is likely the reason that Content. has withstood all of the major hurricanes of the last two decades.
During a recent visit with Lucy's grandniece, Lynne, it is also apparent that Lucy loved her family. Though Lucy and Harry never had children of their own, several different generations of the extended Wilson family, at one point of another, called Content. home.
Sitting with Lynne and looking through her old photo albums was like stepping back in time. Lynne shared stories and images of herself and her brother as children, spending time with her Aunt Lucy, right here in Content's courtyard. We are so fortunate to have these ties to the past.
Lucy continued to live in Content until she developed dementia and was moved to an assisted living home. After her death, her estate was settled with the sale of Content.
In 2002 Content was purchased by new owners, who strangely installed cable TV into every bathroom and had an obvious affection for large, jacuzzi tubs.
Then the house sat vacant for two years. During this time it was occupied by several unknown people.
Content survived Hurricane Sandy and likely thereafter, was robbed of all it's systems and metal (copper heating and water piping) before being taken back as property of the Bank.
Then in 2014, John and I purchased it through a Fannie Mae alternative foreclosure process. It was like bidding on EBay. Very weird, but true.
And now, here we are. 2-years into our renovation if Content. We truly feel like the newest stewards of this unique property.
132 years of history found us in the form of a home. I often wonder that Charles Leland would think about his little 1884 summer "snuggery" on the Shrewsbury River now, quietly preserved across the street.
I wonder if Lucy would appreciate how much love we are trying to put back into Content, a feat she so obviously strove to accomplish throughout her life.
And now the History of Content. is preserved for everyone.
Thanks to our collaboration with Framebridge.com, part of that preservation is now a beautiful gallery wall that hangs in Content.
For those of you unfamiliar, Framebridge is a custom framing website that has a ton of unique and sophisticated frames.
They take the guess work out of displaying photos or art, and guide you through the framing process with step by step instructions and design assistance.
You have two options. Upload the image for framing or sending them the original art.
We chose to send our artifacts in the shipping materials that Framebridge provided.
The whole process, from start to finish, was easy and seamless!
A huge thank you to Framebridge for helping us preserve and display Content's history in such a beautiful new format!
Now, go check out our new gallery wall!
Content survived Hurricane Sandy and likely thereafter, was robbed of all it's systems and metal (copper heating and water piping) before being taken back as property of the Bank.
Then in 2014, John and I purchased it through a Fannie Mae alternative foreclosure process. It was like bidding on EBay. Very weird, but true.
And now, here we are. 2-years into our renovation if Content. We truly feel like the newest stewards of this unique property.
132 years of history found us in the form of a home. I often wonder that Charles Leland would think about his little 1884 summer "snuggery" on the Shrewsbury River now, quietly preserved across the street.
I wonder if Lucy would appreciate how much love we are trying to put back into Content, a feat she so obviously strove to accomplish throughout her life.
And now the History of Content. is preserved for everyone.
Thanks to our collaboration with Framebridge.com, part of that preservation is now a beautiful gallery wall that hangs in Content.
For those of you unfamiliar, Framebridge is a custom framing website that has a ton of unique and sophisticated frames.
They take the guess work out of displaying photos or art, and guide you through the framing process with step by step instructions and design assistance.
You have two options. Upload the image for framing or sending them the original art.
We chose to send our artifacts in the shipping materials that Framebridge provided.
The whole process, from start to finish, was easy and seamless!
A huge thank you to Framebridge for helping us preserve and display Content's history in such a beautiful new format!
Now, go check out our new gallery wall!