Jean's House
Jean Devlin
Jean and her family moved to the location in 1973 from the neighboring housing development, Berryland. By 1973, the Devlin clan equaled six, with two boys (Billy and Bobby) and two girls (Patricia and Kathleen). Jean loves to cook. She had always wanted to expand her kitchen stating that “it was too small”; however, this renovation never occurred. She does not get to cook as much as she would like now that she often needs an oxygen tank; an open flame is hazardous when using oxygen. She remembers how active the street was before the extension of Thurston Woods Campus Elementary School (formerly St. Albert’s Church). While she once considered herself the young one on the block when she moved in, now she is the senior storyteller of the street. Jean proudly displays her Thurston Woods flag outside of her house - unless there is a Packers game, when she replaces the neighborhood flag with the Packers insignia. She keeps watch over her community and the neighbors who surround her. House History Americans, taking advantage of housing loans provided by the Federal Housing Authority, found the means to move up or move out of crowded urban spaces or family homes and into their very own suburban abode. In order to comfortably fit six people into the 851 square foot home the family made a few renovations; one major project converted the attic into bedrooms for the girls. Over the years, general maintenance of the house included updating the roof, putting in a smaller, more energy efficient front room window, reconstruction of the chimney and the addition of ceiling fans. Other than these changes, Jean’s home maintains the same structural composition that it had when it was built in 1950. The layout is typical of those constructed during the period. One enters directly into the living room, which is the largest room in the house. The kitchen is just beyond the living room and is separate from it; not an open concept layout. Moving further into the house, two bedrooms, a bathroom and two storage closets branch out from a main hallway. At the north end of the hallway, a doorway hides a staircase that leads to the bedrooms on the second floor. |