1630 Jefferson

   We were driving down Jefferson on one of my “hey I’m visiting Paducah for a few days lets visit everywhere and go downtown” trips when I lived in Seattle. It was September, I was in my last year of residency and pondering what came next. We parked to peek at the two twin brick houses across the street when it caught my eye.
   Grey brick, beautiful, with a large sunroom on both the first and second level, an old slate roof, all covered in ivy so thick it was like it was trying to hide. How had I never noticed this before?! Many broken windows and chipped paint gave away the fact that this house had not been well kept. This was about 2 1/2 years after I searched every fabric shop in Seattle, and ended up spending a fortune on  the perfect grey and white fabric to recover my 10$ craigslist wingback. Grey is my favorite, and it was before grey was everyone’s favorite. This house had to be mine. I had a feeling.
    Mom and I investigated and saw a sign about no trespassing, some real estate company or bank was in charge of maintenance, and to email for more info. A neighbor reported the house had been empty for several years after the owner had died, and she wished someone would fix it.
   Later we had dinner at my sister’s house, who along with her husband restored a house 3 blocks away. I mentioned the house, and we decided it was necessary to take a post-dinner family stroll. So of course a big huge caravan of us walk over to see it. And of course Kyle tries the door. And of course the door is unlocked. And of course we all go in.
   Did I mention this was after dinner? As in dusk?
What a beautiful house! The outside belies its interior. Hardwood floors, tall ceilings, ginormous windows, we wandered around in the fading light until we bumped into each other.  The upstairs was better kept and it had kitchens on each floor, having been divided into apartments. Kyle peeped into the attic and noticed pizza boxes, and we worried we were not alone. One final glance and we were out before it got too dark.
   It wasn’t until 6 months later, in Peru of all places, after deciding on taking a job in Kentucky, after Levi proposed, that the house popped back up in my thoughts. Wedding blogs were too overwhelming. So many decisions! The date, the place, the dress! Ahh. I decided to do a quick real estate search in Paducah. The colonial architecture in Peru had me inspired to consider a spanish style house in the Fountain Ave district, and I had been poring over the pictures, when I noticed my grey house! What? On the market? Foreclosed? Asking a ridiculously low amount?
   Within two days we had our offer in. It was crazy! Levi hadn’t even seen it! I had only seen it that once in the dark. The process wasn’t without its stressors, as there were other buyers interested and multiple offers were placed, but in the end it was ours!

1630 Jefferson in Sep 2012, when I first noticed it.