After a respite in the research on the Binkley house on Classen, I heard from Keith Binkley, the grandson of Dr. J.G. Binkley who owned the house for which we were searching, from 1930s until his death. His son, Keith's father, sold the house after tiring of trying to keep it up while the area was turning commercial. For awhile he rented it to students (maybe med students) and perhaps that was time from which Gen70's memories originate. Keith has lived in NC for many years and learned of El Nido from a PNC publication in the early 1990s. He was astonished to see his grandparents' house in NC. He visited El Nido and met Miss Gibbs. She took him on a tour of the house and he said it was the same as his grandparents except for some interior decor differences in style (El Nido has spanish tiles and heavy spanish style furnishings while Binkley home was more Arts and Crafts style). He recalls the large amount of land around the house. They kept chickens in a backyard coop and had large vegetable garden. At some point they sold a corner lot and another house was built on it. Keith found me after stumbling across this blog and was again surprised to learn of this interest and research that has been going on about his grandparents' house. He grew up in OKC and has continuing interest in its history and architecture. I thank you all again for your interest that has resulted in these contacts and information shared. Perhaps soon I will be able to share a better photo of the house that apparently was a true match with El Nido. The smoking gun. Becky
I met with Keith Binkley today. He shared some photos of his grandparent's house. One is the color original of the photocopy I had from Pres. NC. The OKC house had a green metal shingle roof that looked like tiles, rather than red on El Nido. They had a large vine growing up the walls on front corner. In the photocopy that is what obscured the view causing us to be unable to tell if it was stucco. Keith said it was stucco, he thinks about the same color as El Nido but maybe had been painted--it looks more yellow in the color photo he has. Also, the french doors that we could see on the porch were added by his grandfather to keep the snow out--older photos show the open arch that El Nido has. His cousin that he was visiting told him there had been another house like these in Monroe Louisiana but it no longer exists either. I will try to make the photos available here but might have to send them to Doug and let him manipulate them since I'm a poor computer operator. Keith and his aunt and cousin enjoyed perusing our discussions and search for their family home.
Thanks all, Becky
Great news, Becky. Can't wait to see the photos!
Doug, I can't wait to see the picture either. I live in a 60's neighborhood and have found two houses in the neighborhood that have twins. They are just a few miles away.
http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assess...52855001yA.jpg
http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assess...91130001vA.jpg
http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assess...74045001yA.jpg
http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assess...12125001yA.jpg
just in case it wasn't mentioned... you guys know there's a binkley st. in south okc, right? perhaps there's a connection. -M
I was raised on the south Side of OKC. The new home my parents bought (G.I. Loan 1952) was exactly like the one across the street. The entire neighborhood was two only floor plans. Every other house was plan A or B...It was quite amusing watching the former G.I.'s trying to out do the neighbors with his new conception of the old floor plans....all those houses are still there and occupied. Doug, you fascinate me with your abilities to find all this information.....Impressed that I know you.....
Funny how after WWII there were many, many cookie cutter homes built with
only two bedrooms, a bath, living room, kitchen, sorta-porch and a garage.
Nobody complained and countless families were raised in them.
Nowadaze, a home has to be completey unique (all have virtually the same
floor plan & only the facade is different) modern conveniences, two living
areas (of which only one is used) 2 or 3 1/2 bathes, 3 bedrooms and a two
car garage.
Back then returning GI's bought for the purpose of raising a family. Today
the pop culture buy to impress somebody. Nobody knows who.
If I ever build a house, I want it to look like the original one on this thread.
One of my grandfathers had a shotgun house. I promise that I could have thrown a rock thru the front door and out the back door. That house had more "Love" pass thru it than many, many high dollar homes put together.
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