| |
[Editor’s note: This is the first of a series of profiles done on Somerville residents who have won historic preservation awards for worthy home restoration]
One of the most extensive projects, winning a Director’s Award from the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission this year is located at the corner of Walnut Street and Highland Avenue, not far from Somerville High School and the Central Library.
It’s now a tall and beautiful Victorian era house that is generally not recognizable from the photos that the current owner, Liam Mannion, received from the broker when he purchased the property in 2008. Eager to share all the details of his work, Liam recently took me on a grand tour of the house, both inside and outside. Liam previously worked for years as a schoolteacher in his home country of Ireland, but he is now an experienced contractor who enjoys buying and restoring properties in his new hometown of Somerville.
Initially drawn to 81 Walnut St. because of its location, he bought it as a very rundown building to do a basic gut and renovation job. Three weeks into ownership, however, Liam learned from a 3:30 a.m. phone call that the house was on fire, probably due to a cigarette tossed in the driveway full of leaves and debris.
Read more: Somerville Historic Preservation Commission awards Walnut Street resident - Somerville, Massachusetts 02144 - Somerville Journal http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/archive/x1538449495/Somerville-Historic-Preservation-Commission-awards-Walnut-Street-resident#ixzz1PJGMiZ1j
