There’s just no place like home
Many, many, MANY years ago, there was a young, ginger-haired boy who would deliver newspapers on West Lawn Ave. in Madison, Wisconsin.
How did you know? That boy tossing papers around was none other than Mark Landgraf himself. When delivering papers, there was one home on his route that stood out in particular – and it’s the one he lives in today.
“It was the house next door at the very end of my route,” said my dad. “I just always remembered that house. It was cool looking and at Christmas, they always had a sleigh out front. It was the house that was at the center of the block of West Lawn.”
Years down the road, after my dad went to high school, college and returned to Madison, he got married to my mom, Sue. Together, they moved into their first home and then their second, all the while raising four kids and keeping an eye on the house. In 2003, “that house” became theirs.
“Truthfully, when we first went to look at the house, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it,” said my mom. “I was nervous that the rooms were going to be small and it’s just hard having a very old home in general. But, I fell in love with it. It had everything – the kitchen was big, the yard, location, it just felt right. Then, we wanted it immediately in the worst way.”
The home belonged to the Huber family before my mom and dad. And before the Hubers, it belonged to the original owner, a professor in the school of agriculture at the University of Wisconsin, who built it in 1905.
“It’s pretty remarkable,” noted my mom. “Over 100 years old and only three owners. We have the original blue prints of the home and some of the original paperwork.”
“The architect that designed the home was from New York,” added my dad. “He designed some well-known buildings in the Chicago and Cleveland areas like art museums and such.”
Once the blue prints came to life in 1905, the families inside and fellow neighbors on the block came alive with it too.
“This is a special neighborhood,” said my dad. “Raising all of the kids here, literally watching them walk to school and church, it was a highlight. Having some really nice parties here too was always fun.”
“The convenience was great,” said my mom. “The kids would have their friends over before school dances, there were all the neighborhood Labor Day and Memorial Day breakfasts on the lot, blocks parties, pig roasts. It’s just home.”
Prior to the home becoming theirs, my mom and dad got in touch with the Huber family thanks to a dear family friend, Angie Kiley, who was Mrs. Huber’s caretaker at the time.
“Mark told her that whenever the house goes for sale, we would really like to buy it,” said my mom.
“It was the only one we wanted,” said my dad. “It was the center of the block, had a big lot on the side, we were always interested in just that house.”
When the time came for their dream to become a reality, they crunched the numbers on a napkin at Otto’s Restaurant and wrote a letter to the Huber family, telling them about their family and how much they would love to raise them and create memories in the home.
In August of 2003, they were handed the keys. And after doing months of repairs and touch-ups, the Landgraf family officially moved in during one of the coldest weeks of the year in January of 2004.
Ever since, the house has lived up to their dreams of why they wanted it in the first place.
“Even today, other kids in the neighborhood come to use the yard to play,” said my mom.
“They just know they are welcome,” added my dad. “It’s been fun to hear them outside there playing. They never have to knock on our door.”
However, with a big old house, comes big old responsibilities.
“The windows are old and the home has to be repainted every 10 years,” said my dad. “Old homes can be hard to work on because of how they are built. They are strong like concrete, having literally been put up by a 2x4, lathe and plaster with pieces of wood across. They’re much better in terms of durability though.”
But even with all the kids out of the house and extra work around the home piling up, my mom and dad still enjoy finding many ways to create memories there with family, friends and neighbors – from pig roasts, long porch visits, dinners, breakfast and happy hours on the lawn and more.
“They can be a lot of extra work, but it’s a welcoming place,” added my mom. “However, the good outweighs the bad. They have so much character and so many stories, and we are so happy we are able to continue to be part of it. And even though it’s not all good all the time, a home is the one consistent place where we can all seek refuge. A warm, safe and loving place for everyone.”
