Thursday, February 25, 2010

Tour of Cle Elum Houses

So I wouldn't go so far as to say the town of Cle Elum is loaded with noteworthy homes, but there are certainly a few diamonds in the rough. Leah and I took a day and snooped at some back in 2008 when she went to my Mom's with me; she blogged about it here. I have pics of those houses and more to share with you today.

Let's start this little snoop session in town, shall we, with the Carpenter Museum...


I'm lame - I used to live outside town with my parents, and I have never been to this museum. I had to search online for information! I found out the house was "built in 1914 by Mr. Frank Carpenter, who founded the Key Bank in downtown Cle Elum. The museum features spacious rooms, tiny alcoves and a third-floor ballroom, and features much of the original furnishings, lamps and etched light bulbs." Third-floor ballroom?? Mom, I have to go inside it next time I come over!

Next, we took Masterson Road out of town. It is named after my mom's real estate agent's family. This area is very spacious; most lots are probably 5 to 10 acres and are flat, usable land, with plenty of fenced pastures and hay fields. Here is the Mastersons' house...


For sure on my top 3 list! Love, love, love that rock porch! This family is very well known in the area and received the county's coveted Cattlemen of the Year award in 1979.

Continuing out of town, we see this ranch house...


It is on one of the larger plots, probably 10 acres or so. I love the little aspen grove at the edge of their yard and the dark-stained cedar shake siding and white window and door trim - we will eventually re-do the siding on our little house in this color combo in vertical cedar plank siding.

Continuing out of town, and entering the mouth of the Teanaway Valley, we see this neat modern cabin...


I love it - I think it looks so clean and simple, but I could never have it as my own. I can appreciate modern, but it is not me. Leah always gives me a hard time about this and says if I let modern into my life then it would be me, but I just can't do it.

Moving on, I forgot to take pics of the house that went with this garage, because the garage was such a showstopper...


I have a serious problem with lame garages that are plain and don't incorporate the same style and character of the house they are paired with, but this one makes my heart go pitter-patter. The shingles, the river rock, the doors! Love it!

Continuing across the mouth of the valley, we come to the Swauk Teanaway Grange...


It recently burned down and was rebuilt. Cute! It is the frequent site of bazaars, hunters' breakfasts and benefits of all kinds. This is the view from the hill the grange is on, back across the mouth of the valley, toward town...


The Teanaway Valley runs off to the right in this picture. And, I should have waited another week or two until everything turns neon green for a brief time in the valley. My parents live 15 minutes further into the valley from here, back behind the ridge in the right of the picture. Heading deeper into the valley, we come across this blue and brick beauty...


Also one of my top 3 favorites. And I love this juicy little detail... a little birdie and very good source, told me how the owner acquired this house. The next house I will show you, a stone's throw down the road, is owned by the Nordstrom family of Seattle. They have a caretaker for their Teanaway retreat, who used to get stock options as a perk. A deal was struck, where the caretaker traded in his stock options for this brick house! How interesting! And, so, here we have the Nordstroms' retreat...


And, I think that rounds out my top 3. There was an existing house here, and it underwent a major renovation several years ago. They did a beautiful job! Another place I'd love to see inside! There is a little garden and a stand and I think they sell bouquets in the summer, if I remember correctly.

The same black fence borders a couple adjoining properties and I think it is all owned by the Nordstroms, including this one tucked back in the tree-line...


So pretty back in the pines, with all that space out front!

Heading further into the valley, toward my parents' house, we come across this little cabin...


So precious! If I had a vacation cabin this is how big I would want it, so there is as little upkeep as possible, thus with as much recreation time as possible. I wish I could see inside that little gem. Another similar cabin sits down the road several miles deeper into the valley...


It is leaning; that is not me taking a crooked picture, though I do sometimes... is one leg longer than the other, or what? Anyway, I always tell my mom when she is old and frail I will build her one of these in the back of my pasture and take care of her. I can picture her, white hair up in a bun, sitting in her rocker on the front porch that I would add to hers. It's so precious, though! I wonder how old it is.

Last but not least, we have my parents' neighbor's real log cabin home...



My parents' is the fourth and this is the third-to-last house before it turns to logging roads and wilderness. The whole property is lined with 4-rail lodgepole pine fencing and it features a nice barn to house their mules, and a full shop, as well as another full shop with apartment above, which they rent to hunters, and also another shop/shed which shelters his construction business equipment and excavators. Like? It could be yours for only a little over $1M.

And I am so lame, I forgot to take pics of my parents' house! I know, what a bad blogger I am. So this concludes our Tour de Cle Elum Real Estate, I hope you have enjoyed it!

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