Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Stay Classy Newburyport...

(As you are looking at it right now, we live on the bottom right)



Our apartment is part of a house that dates back to 1809, built by the inventor Jacob Perkins. Perkins is credited with many inventions, including creating the first difficult-to-counterfeit money, which was minted in a building behind our apartment.

Despite Perkins' brainpower, the guy decided to insulate the walls of his house -- now our apartment -- with horse hair. I'm not sure how this decision was made, but I think the local building supplier was out of whale blubber and cod placenta.

Perkins' decision, meanwhile, continues to reek havoc for the current occupants of his former home: ours is a drafty, bank-account-draining and chilly apartment this time of year. 

In an attempt to keep our gas bills reasonable, we put plastic up on our living room windows. The bedroom is next. 

As one of my relatives is sure to have said, "Nothing says class like plastic over glass."
 

5 comments:

Hank and Mary said...

Keep it coming Stephen. You entertain us. :)

Dan Tait said...

I just googled this guy and he first attempted to insulate the house with belly button lint and ear wax but at the time the market was flooded with horse hair.

Emily J said...

this post just made me want to move to mass. the only history where i am going to live is a fountain of youth monument. it is fake.

Danielle Nelson said...

The old-arsed house I am living in was built when Steve and Linsey's was a spry 100. As a testament to ever progressing technology, ours has no insulation. A little horse hair sounds nice this time of year.

Instead of plastic over windows, we feed our kids high-calorie diets so they are like little mobile space heaters.

Anonymous said...

who is squeaky sneakers?