Restoring houses to former glory is hobby for Uniontown woman
Sis Frangipani, 76, stands outside her newly-purchased home on Albion Street in Uniontown. Frangipani plans to restore the house.
Amanda Steen | 蘑菇视频
Sis Frangipani, 76, talks about her collection of furniture inside her newly-purchased home on Albion Street in Uniontown.
Editor蘑菇视频 note: This is the first in an occasional series featuring Uniontown resident Sis Frangipani and the restoration process of her house on Albion Avenue in Uniontown. Watch the 蘑菇视频蘑菇视频 Real Estate section for updates.
With an eye for detail and a love for restoration, a 76-year-old Uniontown woman has added a fourth house to the list of properties she has bought and sold since she retired in 2004 tackling them as personal projects.
Ethel 鈥淪is鈥� Frangipani closed in July on a 1,400 square-foot house she purchased on Albion Street in the city saying this time, however, she may have found her 鈥渨aterloo.鈥�
鈥淭hese kinds of houses remind me of the dinosaurs,鈥� said Frangipani. 鈥淚 wish they could last forever, and I could save everyone.鈥�
But don鈥檛 be mistaken, Frangipani isn鈥檛 a house flipper who buys a property, fixes it up and sells it for profit. With her properties, she doesn鈥檛 make it new. Instead, she rediscovers the old.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 remodel, I don鈥檛 update and don鈥檛 go for functional kitchens, that蘑菇视频 just not my thing.鈥� said Frangipani.
鈥淚 like to bring back what was originally there.鈥�
Frangipani admits her newly purchased two-story structure needs a lot of work inside and out, including asbestos removal.
However, she is focusing on the positive aspects despite having copper wiring stolen from the basement just before moving in.
鈥淚 like the architecture and the upstairs is done differently because nothing is squared off and everything is angled in the hallway,鈥� said Frangipani.
From the time she first saw the house, Frangipani said she knew it was exactly what she was looking for with its original wood work and distinct angled walls upstairs appealing to her rustic taste.
It also has natural hardwood floors throughout that Frangipani plans to restore while keeping the same color scheme.
Frangipani refers to her latest dwelling as her 鈥済ingerbread house鈥� because of it蘑菇视频 pronounced arch above the front door and decorative trim.
Over the years, Frangipani has collected pieces of antique furniture that includes a variety of keepsakes either handed down by family members or people she met along the way.
With her recent purchase, Frangipani said she would like the rooms to function in the same perspective as they did for the former homeowner.
Based on experience, Frangipani said the outside of a house has become her first priority during restorations in replacing the roof, siding and windows after she previously incurred heavy water damage.
鈥淚 learned on every house I鈥檝e done you need to start outside and get the house secure,鈥� said Frangipani.
Frangipani said she became interested in buying and restoring older homes because she was looking for something to keep her busy, even before she retired.
鈥淚 needed something to occupy my time and give me something to do when I was done with work,鈥� said Frangipani.
For Frangipani, the definition of retirement is being being physically and mentally active. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be sitting on a chair with a (TV) remote.鈥�
All of the houses Frangipani has restored are located in Uniontown, and her first purchase was on Apple Street in the 1980s where she had an addition built on for her late mother.
Five years later, Frangipani bought her second house on Bailey Avenue attracted by its staircase and in 1996 she purchased a 3,500-square-foot house on Charles Street from a late friend who gave her a Duncan Phyfe dining room set.
鈥淚 like old homes and I would finish one and want one bigger,鈥� said Frangipani.
The five-bedroom Charles Street home posed a challenge for Frangipani in having to replace 38 windows along with a new roof, siding, soffit and fascia and retaining walls.
After living there for 18 years, Frangipani decided it was time to downsize, but not give up her labor of love, houses.
鈥淣othing appealed to me other than old,鈥� said Frangipani, which is why the Albion Street home caught her eye.
Frangipani said the move was difficult because of her age and made possible with support from family and friends.
鈥淚 think I鈥檓 going to settle here,鈥� she added.