Revival

Owners of three homes on Overbluff Road are going to throw open their doors next Sunday for a fundraising tour put on by Spokane Preservation Advocates.

Two of the three are listed on the Spokane Register of Historic Places.

One of the homes, the Christensen House, a Tudor Revival “Storybook” home at 1320 E. Overbluff Road, is owned by Sara Weaver-Lundberg and Russ Lundberg.

“Sara and I have always loved the historical homes,” Lundberg said.

Landscaping directs the eye to the front door, which is curved on top to match the arching entryway and has a large round window. A prominent tapered chimney rises to the right of the door.

Inside, the home opens from the foyer into a spacious formal dining room, living room with fireplace, library and staircase.

Fine tiger oak covers the floors and adorns the walls.

The couple have collected a range of period light fixtures that add appeal.

“It was just built to be comfortable,” Lundberg said. “It’s a beautiful home.”

They placed their home on the Spokane Register of Historic Places in 2007.

The couple undertook a complete restoration and renovation of the home with an eye toward preserving the historic look, he said.

“We modernized some things,” Lundberg said. “But we tried to leave the house they way it was as much as possible.”

During construction, the couple lived in an apartment for more than two years, in part to get their children away from the hazard of lead paint, Lundberg said.

An addition on the south side provides more garage space with an expanded kitchen and casual dining area. A new architectural roof, paint and energy-efficient windows consistent with the original house are also seen from outside.

Inside, the home’s lath and plaster walls were removed, exposing wiring and plumbing for upgrades and allowing for insulation.

Tour organizers have tried to get the couple to open the home before. “We have been asked several times, but the house wasn’t ready,” Lundberg said.

The house is listed under its historic name – the George and Blanche Christensen House. George Christensen was president and general manager for Western Piggly Wiggly grocery stores.

“The property is architecturally and historically significant as a tangible demonstration of the domestic architectural development that took place in the Rockwood Terrace Addition,” according to its historic listing.

In addition to the Spokane historic register listing, the owners are seeking to have it listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The other two homes on the tour are the Flehme House, an American Tudor Revival home at 1006 E. Overbluff Road, and the Ford House, a Craftsman home with Tudor Revival elements at 1015 Overbluff Road. The Ford House is on the Spokane Register of Historic Places.

Proceeds from the tour will benefit SPA’s preservation efforts, including its heritage fund grants.