Tom and Gloria Bratkowski talk about their home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Their 1886 house is next door to Tom's childhood home in Old North 狐狸视频. Video by Zach Clingenpeel
Tom Bratkowski has not moved too far from his childhood home. In fact, he is right next door to the home where he remembers the horse-drawn Quality Dairy wagon delivering milk, butter and other dairy products to his red brick family home.
Those memories are much more recent than the year 1816, when the area was known as 鈥淥ld North鈥 and was a separate village from the City of 狐狸视频. 鈥淚t joined the city in 1841, and our home was built in 1886,鈥 Tom says.
After college, he returned to the home in 1972, living upstairs from his parents. But this time he was with Gloria, whom he had met at the University of Wisconsin and married in 1971.
When the house next door became available in 1975, the young couple purchased it and began 15 years of restoration work before taking occupancy in 1990. 鈥淲e had to chase pigeons out of the attic when we started,鈥 Gloria says.
Most of the renovation in the 2,100 square-foot home was done by Tom, including restoration of 52 decorative corbels around the second-floor perimeter, updating bathrooms and repairing huge ornate ceiling medallions in the dining and living rooms.
鈥淲hen you own an old home there are lot of big projects masquerading as small projects,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hey usually seem easy. You never find out until you start.鈥
During his restoration years, Tom was careful not to compromise any of the original woodwork that remains as an outstanding example of the craftmanship of the late 1800s when the residence was constructed.
Elaborate pine molding with a dark varnish encases the door frames that soar 10 feet up in rooms where the ceilings are 12-feet-high. Tri-fold wood shutters can be collapsed and hidden out of sight in recessed nooks inside the window frames.
Original floor baseboards are 12 inches tall, twice as high as those found in homes today.
Two unique slate fireplace mantels remain untouched in the living room and dining room. Although stone, when first installed both were painted to look like wood. Each feature three small hand painted murals of country scenes on the front panel over the firebox, and original etched mirrors cover the opening when the hearth is not in use.
Vintage heirloom furniture and collections fit perfectly into the historic residence. The dining room table was Gloria鈥檚 grandmothers, and a nearby armoire belonged to Tom鈥檚 grandfather.
On a back staircase no longer in use is a display of Tom鈥檚 collection of old washboards and the tools associated with hand washing clothes before the time of washing machines. Included in his collection are the copper boilers used to soak clothes in a mix of water and lye soap, and the handheld tools needed to agitate the clothes and then extract them from the boiler.
鈥淲e have been to the Columbus Washboard Company in Logan, Ohio,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t is the last factory still making washboards.鈥
One part of the residence that is not old is on the roof. In 2023 they had an array of nine solar panels installed to make the Victorian age home more energy-efficient and reduce its carbon footprint.
In the back yard the same gazebo remains that Tom remembers from his childhood. 鈥淭hat used to be a barn where a neighbor stabled his horse,鈥 he says, pointing to what is now a garage. 鈥淲hen it was hot he would bring the horse outside and let him stand under that gazebo.鈥
Photos: At Home with Gloria and Tom Bratkowski in Old North 狐狸视频
Tom and Gloria Bratkowski talk about their home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Their 1886 house is next door to Tom's childhood home in Old North…
Vintage heirloom furniture and collections fit perfectly throughout the historic residence. The dining room table belonged to Gloria鈥檚 grandmother. Four chairs were inherited, while the others were purchased in local antique shops. Unseen in the octagon-shaped room is a tall hutch that was Tom鈥檚 grandparents. On top of the small cabinet are family heirlooms and photos.
The bed in an upstairs bedroom belonged to Tom鈥檚 parents and dates to the early 1900s. The vintage quilt was purchased at a church bazaar in Old North 狐狸视频. The small, framed sampler on the nightstand reads: May all who come to my door, sweet welcome find, and peace of mind.
Tom and Gloria Bratkowski pose for a photo on the couch in their living room on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Their 1886 house is next door to Tom鈥檚 childhood home in Old North 狐狸视频.
In the living room, original tri-fold wood shutters rise 10 feet, almost to the 12-foot high ceiling. When folded, the shutters can be hidden in recessed nooks inside the window frames. All woodwork is pine with a dark varnish.
When Tom was restoring the residence, he was careful not to compromise any of the original and extensive woodwork, which is an example of the craftmanship of the late 1800s when the home was constructed.
A player piano that belonged to Tom鈥檚 aunt is in the living room, next to a cabinet and a collection of 75 rolls of music. The 1923 piano emits a melody so loud it can be heard (and enjoyed) from the street outside. 鈥淲e turn it on whenever our family is here,鈥 Tom says.
Two matching slate fireplace mantels remain untouched in the living room and dining room. Although stone, when originally installed both were painted to look like wood. Each feature three small hand painted murals of country scenes on the front panel over the firebox, and original etched mirrors cover the opening when the hearth is not in use.