Located on West Cumberland Avenue, the Smith home is a pleasure to see as one drives down the avenue. The Smiths have been toiling inside and out since they moved in, and the results are “award winning”.
The award consists of display sign in their yard for a month, and a $50 gift card to the Bell County Farm Supply on 19th Street.
“When the seller called our ’new’ house a Craftsman Bungalow, the words didn’t mean much to us. We only knew we liked the high ceilings, the hardwood floors, the original ‘eight lights over one’ windows with original rolled glass, the porch, the wide eaves, and the trees. We have since learned that some craftsman bungalows were built from kits sold by Sears and delivered by train, but we believe that this house was built in 1926 by Ed Dance for George Huddleston. Charlie Huddleston, his grandson, lived in the house as a boy, and now lives down the street,” stated Sally Smith.
“We spent hours with putty knives, freeing windows that had been painted shut. Those windows, plus the trees, the wide eaves, and the porch keep the house cool on all but the hottest or most humid days,” added her husband, Mark.
Their landscaping included planting five dogwoods, a chestnut, a ginkgo, and two maple tees. Several of these trees were planted for the time when the old maple trees will have to be removed. The dogwoods have been planted near the street as a continuation of the planting of flowering trees on Cumberland Avenue. The Smiths have also planted over 40 varieties of daylilies in the front and side yards. Annuals were planted in large containers and window boxes. These flowers and ferns from the Henderson Settlement greenhouse have added to the appearance of this home.
The Smiths and Jeff Adkins recently made major improvement to the house with a new coat of yellow paint Working with an 80-year-old house that was in serious need of painting, Adkins carefully prepared the house before painting. The final result is a showstopper, and the painter and the owners are proud of the finished product.
The Yard of the Month contest is open to anyone within the city limits of Middlesboro. When a house catches your eye and you think “nice” call Cumberland Park Garden Club member Opal Blackard at 248-1231 with the address and name of the resident if you have it.
“We appreciate all the calls and check each one out individually,” said Blackard.
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