President Bush's childhood home in Midland is dedicated

Star Telegram.com ^ | Apr. 12, 2006 | BETSY BLANEY

[AmericanMade1776]

First lady Laura Bush joined her in-laws Tuesday as the couple returned to the small Midland home where President Bush spent part of his youth.

A $1.8 million restoration has brought the one-story, three-bedroom house back to the way it looked in the early 1950s, when George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, lived there.

The Bushes began the dedication of the George W. Bush Childhood Home by walking out the front door and addressing about 700 people, including childhood friends of the president, other people who have lived in the house and politicians.

Barbara Bush recalled thinking the house was enormous when they bought it.

"You all look at it as a little house," she said. "It was a terrific house to live in. We loved it here."

[wagglebee]

From the picture and description of the house, I cannot imagine how it could possible have cost $1.8 MILLION to restore it to the way it was in the 50's. I would think a couple hundred thousand would be a really high figure.

[AmericanMade1776]

A view of the bedroom of President George Bush's childhood home in Midland, Texas, Monday, April 10, 2006. First lady Laura Bush, former President George Bush and Barbara Bush will be on hand Tuesday for the official dedication of the home. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

[AmericanMade1776]

First Lady Laura Bush looks at some memorabilia in the family room while taking a tour of the childhood home of President George W. Bush in Midland, Texas, Monday, April 10, 2006. The First Lady, former President George H. W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush will be on hand Tuesday for the official dedication of the home. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, Pool)

[AmericanMade1776]

View of the kitchen in U.S. President George W. Bush 's restored childhood home in Midland, Texas, April 10, 2006. First Lady Laura Bush, former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush will officially dedicate the facility April 11. Bush lived in the house from 1952-1955. REUTERS/Jeff Mitchell

[alpha-8-25-02]

I AGREE,WHO WAS PAID 1.8 MIL?

[butternut_squash_bisque]

"...$1.8 million restoration has brought the one-story, three-bedroom house back to the way it looked in the early 1950s..."

Huh?

[AmericanMade1776]

Comic books are displayed at U.S. President George W. Bush's bedroom in his restored childhood home in Midland, Texas, April 10, 2006. First Lady Laura Bush and former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush will officially dedicate the facility April 11. Bush lived in the house from 1952-1955. REUTERS/Jeff Mitchell

[AmericanMade1776]

Former President George H.W. Bush, left, and former first lady Barbara Bush cut the ribbon as First lady Laura Bush, right front and family friend Joe O'Neill help hold it during the official dedication of the childhood home of President George W. Bush in Midland, Texas, Tuesday, April 11, 2006. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

[AmericanMade1776]

A Group of Midland Citizens.... After the Bushes left, the 130 square-metre house went through several owners and fell into disrepair until a group of Midland citizens decided to make it a not-for-profit museum.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Travel&set_id=14&click_id=&art_id=qw1144818361939T614

[AmericanMade1776]

The project was funded mostly by private donors, with a few contributions from charitable foundations in Texas.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/4/12/apworld/20060412112733&sec=apworld

[wagglebee]

The house looks (and sounds) to be in the 2000 square foot range (possibly 2500 s.f., but that would be a big stretch). That works out to somewhere in $700 to $900 per foot range.

I do a lot of work with very high end new home builders and $500 per foot is at the high end of high end custom homes. However, the products that add so much to the cost of custom homes (audio-video equipment, commercial style appliances, exotic wood floors, granites and marble, etc.) did not exist in the 1950's. This house would have had vinyl floors, wall-to-wall carpet, Formica counters, standard bathroom fixtures, etc. The cost to build a house like this from the ground up would be under $100 per square foot.

Somebody really ripped-off whoever was paying for this.

[AmericanMade1776]

All President's birthplaces, homes are restored for Historical purposes. It is not restored just for a place for someone to live in , but as a museum, that means there has to be a place for visitors to go to the restroom, to buy gifts, to buy food. It is not just the home itself. Even Bill Clinton's former homes are restored..WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? DID IT COST YOU ANYTHING?

[AmericanMade1776]

Clinton's boyhood home

President George H. Bush's boyhood home

Ronald Reagan's boyhoos home

Jimmy Carter's boyhood home

[AmericanMade1776]

Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home

[AmericanMade1776]

John Adams boyhood home

[PhiKapMom]

It was restored as a museum not a home for someone to live in -- did they ask you for the money?

I, for one, think it is neat and the next time I am in Midland, I will visit.

[wagglebee]

A $1.8 million restoration has brought the one-story, three-bedroom house back to the way it looked in the early 1950s

This does not say or even imply that any of the money was spent for museum facilities which obviously would require an additional building and parking lots. Of course it would cost a lot more for this than just to restore the house, so why wasn't this stated in the article. It is not inconceivable that this was intentionally left out by the media.

Regardless, I do not see why you feel the need to attack me and say that I have a problem simply for saying that based on what the article stated the amount of money spent was outrageous.

[Coldwater Creek]

I restore old housed, and even with the high cost of materials and labor, there is no way that this project could possibly cost 1.8 million. Hope that this was private funds.

[wagglebee]

See what I wrote in #18.