Day by day, week by week, the Pace House is being transformed from a public events center back to its original role as a single-family residence.
Walking through the house this afternoon, I marveled that two bedrooms (both with closets) that have been carved out of what had been a large meeting room are nearly finished and the tiny pass-through kitchen for the community center has been expanded into a perfect-sized kitchen for full-time occupants--even spacious enough to fit in a breakfast table.
This week's schedule includes:
1. Painting the enlarged kitchen and installing its dishwasher and countertops. Maybe just maybe, we can even get the new kitchen floor installed, too.
2. Finishing the plumbing in the king-sized and the half bathrooms. We literally had to rip out everything in the "men's" and "women's" restrooms in the events center and start all over with the space. Our architect came up with a great design with one enormous bathroom and one small half bath.
With the April 11 Heritage Day fast approaching, we're starting to think about what's tops on our priority list for that event. Having a fully functioning bathroom for our tour hosts and hostesses is at the top of the list.
For the crowds who will be in our neighborhood that day from noon to 5 p.m. to tour the five historic open houses on our street, including the Pace House, and the dedication at 3 p.m. of Travis College Hill's new Texas Historical Marker, the City of Garland is graciously providing a high-quality portable restroom complete with real sinks and all.
We will even have a giant 30-by-50 tent set up in front of the Pace House and in front of the new neighborhood Texas Historical Marker. The tent will seat 200 comfortably.
In 1985-86, as part of the City of Garland's Texas Sesquicentennial celebration, the turn-of-the-century Queen Anne-inspired Garland residence was remodeled from a family home into a meeting place where weddings, bridal showers, anniversaries, and other social and political events were celebrated. Now, almost two years after the city decided it no longer needed the historic facility and five months after we obtained ownership, the house is being returned to its original purpose. The Pace House will be re-dedicated as part of the April 11 ceremony.
It's going to be a glorious day! But until then, for me it will be paint, hammer, drive to Home Depot and back, then paint, hammer and drive to Home Depot and back again!
Please join us on Saturday afternoon, April 11, to witness the transformation of this historical beauty.
