This house was owned and renovated by our friends from the early 90’s-2004 and it’s one of those houses I will always love even though they haven’t lived there in over a decade...I have a real soft spot for houses from my childhood [see Ballentine House].

It was built in 1901 and operated as a fanning mill before it was a house. A fanning mill! (because I certainly didn’t know) is a machine that separates grains from weed seeds/chaff and there was a Muncy manufacturer with national distribution that made them: Sprout, Waldron & Co. (now a division of Andritz).

It was originally only half its current symmetrical facade with just the door and two bays on the right; the section on the left was added later. There was also a back section that was removed.

Our friends put a lot of care into it inside and out (including stripping and repainting the ENTIRE exterior themselves!). I really loved sitting on the GIANT radiators while watching tv and the ridiculously opulent cash register in the front hall with candy in the drawer. What’s amazing about drawing buildings is that I notice things that I NEVER noticed before, like the fact that the windows aren’t symmetrical at all!

Sources:

Fanning Mill Info: Farm Collector, Fanning Mill

Background on Ellen Sprout and Maggie Waldron (mother and daughter)