The Restoration Of 7777 York Road In Parma, Ohio
On May 2, 2013, Mr. and Mrs. William Heiman (Bill and Penny) purchased the property at 7777 York Road. They were well aware of the extensive renovation needed to turn this Historic House, built in 1818, into its former glory and splendor. Bill is a contractor and Penny is a carpenter. Both of these people know what quality workmanship is. This is why they chose this house. They could see and had the vision to make this dream a reality. This house was built with detail to the best craftsmanship. Most of the work to date has been done by Bill and Penny.
I had the opportunity to tour the house with Penny as my guide. It is very evident by talking with her, the pride she and Bill have with their accomplishments so far. This is still a work in progress. All of the original woodwork that had layers of paint has been scraped, sanded, and refinished. Walls were refinished and painted. All of the antique furnishings were purchased by Penny. The original flagstone foundation had to be removed because of erosion and water damage. Bill excavated the entire basement and put in a new cement foundation. The foundation is completed and the house is now on a solid footing.
It is amazing to see the almost 200 year old hand hewn timbers that support the underside of this house. As Penny was removing part of a wall one day, she felt something loose in the wall. She pulled it out and discovered, it was a large picture of two children probably around the early 1900's. What a great find this was. There were no names listed on this picture.
Anyone that may have any history of this house, especially old pictures, please contact me at 216-777-0835 and I will forward the information to Mr. and Mrs. Heiman. Penny hopes that by 2018, as the house becomes 200 years old, the labor of love will be completed. By the way, this happens to be the oldest house in Parma and surrounding area. We thank Mr. and Mrs. Heiman for all of their hard work in restoring a house that was almost doomed for the wrecking ball.
Bob Stilwell
Retired Manufacturing Supervisor since 2008. I'm a member of the American Legion Post 703 In Parma,Ohio. Active Member of the Parma Heights Historical Society. I write Memorials for an internet group called "Find A Grave."