Another day at the Stanley Ranch Museum! Our tour included two vintage homes that had been moved to the Ranch. The first was the Schnitger home, a Craftsman-style home from 1916. The photo below shows the home in its original setting before it was relocated.
In this home, the furnishings were not necessarily original to this home, but were authentic to the home period and appropriately assembled. We were told that the piano had belonged to a local theatre before it was donated to the ranch.
This kiddos of today would have a hard time believing that the main source of entertainment back then would be a radio. No visuals, no scrolling…you just sat and listened. What a concept.
The dining room:
On the table was a display of dishes and info about the Greenbrier Inn, a sanitarium from 1941 which mainly catered to Hollywood celebrities who needed to “dry out” without being under public scrutiny.
Allegedly, Judy Garland was a patron. It was replaced by a mixed-use complex in the 1980s. Shocking! Vintage postcard views and a matchbook are provided below:
The kitchen - I covet that range!
The last stop on the tour was the Ware-Stanley House, built in 1893 or 1897, depending on whether you choose to believe the historic plaque or an article on socallandmarks.com.
Part of a 40 acre ranch, our guide told us that many of the items inside were original to the home. I loved the details; you just don’t find craftsmanship like this today. Does that make me old for saying that? Probably.
The contraption at right in the living room is not a radio, but an early record player which used cylinders.
How about that wacky tile on the fireplace?
The kitchen was a little low-tech for me. I preferred the one at the Schnitger home.
The bedroom for the kiddies. Sorry, no wifi.
At the back of the house is Garden Grove’s “last outhouse.” No, we didn’t get to go inside.
This beautiful pink rose was at the gate as we exited.
By the time the tour was over, the Going To Guides market was in full swing. If you aren’t aware of Shannon and Going To Guides, you might want to reconsider calling yourself a fan of Disney.
She writes and designs THE most creative and informative guides for Disneyland, DCA, and WDW, sprinkled with photos from yours truly. Get your own copy at Shannon’s website.
Her Etsy shop has many cool items, but my fave are the fandanas. If you think you want a particular one, buy it. Don’t wait. They sell quickly.
Janey (aka Atomic Redhead), legendary pop culture and Disney blogger was there, too. What a great surprise!
Through Janey, I met another creative force, Melissa (aka Amuseboosh), another legend in the Disney community. They pretty much talked me into going to the Anaheim Halloween Parade. I checked with Willis and it looks like he wants to go to.
Thanks to Shannon for putting all of this together! The final installment of this Orange County series will be posted tomorrow. With Disneyland around the corner, did I end my nine-year absence from the Park? You’ll have to return to find out.
See more Stanley Ranch photos at my main website.
2 comments:
Wait a minute... Amuseboosh and AtomicRedhead are the same person? Ha! Small world, no Disney puns intended. I can never tell when handles differ on various platforms, it's easy to miss who's who. My "New Orleans Square" bathroom is kind of centered around her lenticular portraits. She does great work. Shannon's "Going to" guides are a must own for any fan, not just for info but snazzy pics. The truly amazing thing about those reconstructed house interiors isn't how much authentic stuff they have inside, it's how clean it us. Back in the days of open windows and dusty breezes passing through, it's hard to imagine how they kept it clean. Contrast that with today where I visit other homes and find pack-rat issues from floor to ceiling, laundry in the dishwasher, piles of dishes around the sink, etc. Maybe less really was more? I've no idea what that push-button was on the inside of that door but I should. I've visited enough relatives in their 1880's constructed homes that I know I've seen that before on pocket doors and things like that. I love the old style motel room keyfob for the Greenbrier Inn. A nice place for the upper at their lowest. I'm still blown away by how CLEAN those interiors are. You could eat off the floor. ( <-- Copyright "Waffle House" chain of restaurants, used with their permission, and whose patrons often do. )
Ugh - my goof! Thanks for catching that! The link to Melissa's site has been corrected! I believe Greenbrier used to be high end, but slid into more of a snake-pit type place in its latter years. Don't quote me on this but I believe the push button on the door is an automatic lock feature. If I'm right, you need to take me to Waffle House.
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