Picturing Milwaukee: Washington Park
 
  • Home
    • Credits
  • Stories
    • What is a Home?
    • A story of a foreclosure
    • A Place to Belong
    • Personalization
    • The Community
    • Artisan Street
    • Unlocking the History of Your Home
    • ACTS: A Grassroots Organization
    • Financial Systems >
      • ACTS' Method
  • Forum Pages
    • Washington Park Area
    • Why ACTS Matters
  • People
    • Angela Pruitt
    • Blia Cha
    • Bobby McQuay
    • Charmion Herron
    • Eileen Lazich
    • Ever Clinton
    • Father Dennis Lewis
    • Lanard Robinson
    • Leroy Washington
    • Mark Whaley
    • Michael Gosman
    • Michael Thomas
    • Muneer Bahauddeen
    • Phoua Vang
    • Phua Lee
    • Ramon Guadarrama
    • Robert "Woody" Welch
    • Salvador Villolobos
    • Sam Smith
    • Shannon Pulliam
    • Tou Lee
    • Wang Chao Lee
  • Places
    • The Invisible Substance of a House
    • The Loss of Identity
    • The Convent
    • Muneer's House
    • Robinson House
    • Lee House
    • Herron House
    • Villalobos House
    • Cha Home
  • Documentaries
  • Research
    • Bella Biwer
    • Francesca Bisi

The Herron House

Two geese shaped planting pots on the front step at the entrance of Charmion Herron's home caught our attention. Herron remembers that when she was young, her mother put these pots in front of the house as decorations. Such decorative objects continue to remind Herron of her late mother who resided in this house until her death. 

Herron has carefully preserved the memory of her mother embedded in the architecture of this building. She has retained the green carpet that her mother laid on the stairs and the front entrance area. The carpet has worn out, yet Herron has no intention of replacing it. Some of the changes that her mother made to the home were more permanent in nature. For instance Herron's mother took down a wall between the living area and the entrance space. As a result, she expanded and extended the front living area. By taking down walls, she rerouted circulation and set up new boundaries between various domains. Such architectural changes make a big impact on the identity, everyday practices and lifestyle of inhabitants. 

A home is more than a property we buy and sell, more than a structure that we build and care for. It is a palace of memories and a repository of the past. Charmion Herron's abode is a good example of such an evocative space. 

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.