I Love History

(The Aley home in the Midtown District of Wichita, Kansas is now surrounded by many other historical homes, mature trees, and formal landscaping. Here you can see that the street isn't paved and there are rails for a cable car. If walls could talk...what would they reveal about all the living done there in 120 years?)

It's been a week since I've written. Unbelievable. But then I hadn't posted anything for a couple of years. I'm doing better, don't you think? Sunday, after church and a quick lunch, we drove to Wichita and enjoyed a walking tour of 5 homes in Historic Midtown District, all within a two-block area.

I was particularly interested in the Aley house (picture above) because a Mennonite commune purchased the house in the 1970's and started to renovate it back to its original design. It had been transformed into an apartment house by the previous owners, with pink aluminium siding, if you can imagine that. All the porches had been removed, which the Mennonites restored. "The three-story Queen Anne style home was built in 1889 by J.H. Aley, a Civil War Veteran, Wichita merchant, and civic leader."

I love the grandeur of the interior and exterior including the three-story "conical tower." I would have loved living in just such a house as a child or young bride. I was disappointed that the kitchen is modernized, altho' some of the brick walls and other original features have been retained. I suppose I wouldn't want to cook with an antiquated wood or coal stove, and it might be difficult to have block ice delivered to refill an ice box. How could I cook without my microwave?