The Mystery of the Door That Leads to No Where

Originally published by Laraine Shape on October 15, 2014

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Sears Josephine model at 7933 Hickman in Mt. Healthy

Okay, remember that sweet yellow Josephine model we talked about last winter in The Sears House Goldmine in Mt. Healthy, Ohio The one at 7933 Hickman?

Well, guess what? We got lucky! It’s owners, Shawna and Daniel and their two adorable “children,” invited us in for a tour.

What an absolute sweetheart of a home. Not one inch of wasted space in the Josephine. It consists of living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and a basement.  Oh, and in this one…a mystery door.

This mystery door is an extra feature we can’t seem to figure out. Maybe one of you readers can help us. It’s a door between the kitchen and bedroom number two that’s all framed in on both sides, trimmed out top to bottom but has a solid piece of wood in between. And the solid piece is not a new piece of wood. It appears to be the same age as the house. What the…? Is there a million dollars sandwiched in there? Can someone please tell us what this is all about?

It appears the house was originally built by Edith Straub (1895-1974), a single lady, who lived there until she passed away. From there it went to her brother, Eugene Straub and from Eugene to sister Vera Straub (later Vera Adkins). So the home remained in the same family until it’s current owners purchased it two years ago.

It has the feel of a happy, comfortable, homey home. And it couldn’t have asked for nicer owners than Daniel and Shawna.

Thank you Shawna and Daniel for your hospitality and for being such good caretakers of this adorable Josephine. And thank you Marty Russell (fellow REALTOR) for helping your daughter Shawna find this sweet home at such an unbelievable price! She’s lucky to have you.

Now, let’s sit back and enjoy the tour.

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The distinctive San Jose door. Cross piece missing from sash, but otherwise in beautiful condition.
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Back side of the San Jose door
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View to kitchen and basement entry
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Josephine’s lovely owner, Shawna
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The Josephine kitchen. Nice big pantry is tucked in to the window alcove. Originally intended as the landing
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Original door hardware
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Kitchen alcove and pantry – the pantry has been modified from original plan that included a landing instead.
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Pantry door
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Original kitchen window framing. The NuTone exhaust fan was probably added in the 60′s (and still works perfectly)
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Hall bath
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Original medicine cabinet
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Love the trim
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The mystery door that leads to no where!
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The mystery door! Sorry for the blur…there was very little light
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More mystery door. Trimmed out all the way to the floor. Do you suppose there’s a million dollars sandwiched in there?
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Bedroom one closet doors
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Bedroom closet doors – aren’t they gorgeous?
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View down hallway
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Meet the owners, Shawna and Daniel, and their well behaved “kids.”

 

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