House on
Colton Avenue still beautiful after 100 years
Catherine Garcia, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 05/03/2008 11:16:14 PM PDT
REDLANDS
- The Charleston House on Colton Avenue, home to On the Avenue Day Spa, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.
"It's a very peaceful
place," said Rosemary Humbert, a manicurist who works in the building. "There's a good energy here."
Visitors to the nine-room house
can take advantage of services by hairstylists, manicurists, massage therapists and a chiropractor. They can also shop in
the small garden boutique in the foyer.
"It's awesome, I love this house," massage therapist Erik Morales said. "Just walking
up to it brings out something in people. It's a good atmosphere."
The two-story house sits on a cut-rock foundation. There are
porches on both stories, and the bottom one has six massive cut-stone pedestals in combination with Doric wooden columns.
All of the windows are original.
The house was built by Charles C. Reasoner for $4,000, and was first owned by John M. Woehl, an orange grower. The
1910 census lists four people living in the house and a cow and a horse. During World War II, rooms and a back guest house
were added for boarders, to provide extra income for the owners at the time.
A
transformation
Over the years, the house went back and forth between a private residence and a business. Today, the Charleston House
is owned by Sherry Haviland of Yucaipa, who bought the house in 2004. She named it after her grandmother.
"We'd been looking for a place for
years and years when
it
came on the market," she said. "When we saw it, my husband, who is an artist, said there were so many possibilities
that we had to go for it."
Minor repairs to the plaster and wood were made. Black wrought iron was added to the upstairs porch, as was a black
and white striped awning, enhancing the house's New Orleans feel.
"My husband had to have the black and white awning," Haviland said. "It
really does bring the wrought iron out."
Haviland feels lucky that the house was already in great shape when she purchased it.
"It was fun to transform,
but if it didn't have the good shell, we couldn't have done it," she said.
Once the inside was finished, Haviland got to work
on the outside, planting flowers in both the front and back of the house. The gardens are full of brightly colored snapdragons,
roses, bougainvillea and more.
"I love the outdoors," she said. "I wanted us to be able to hold weddings and small parties here."
Haviland's
daughter, Dulce, has a Pilates studio in the guesthouse in the back, and loves the house just as much as her mom does.
"It's like an old
New York loft," she said. "There's a wood ceiling, and a very cool feeling. Clients love it, especially because
it stays cool in there. There's just a very peaceful, beautiful atmosphere."
Celebrating
To celebrate the Charleston House's 100 years, Haviland and her crew opened their doors May
1 to raise money for the Redlands Festival Ballet Company. They gave free tours of the house, served hors d'oeuvres and
awarded door prizes.
"They are a wonderful organization and we wanted to give back to them," said Dulce, a former dancer.
Coming home
According to Haviland, guests feel like they've entered another world when
they come to the house.
"They tell us they feel like they're coming home," she said. "We have a great front porch with
swings and a chair, and we oftentimes find people sitting out there who just walked by and liked what they saw."
For Haviland, there's
nothing better than owning a piece of Redlands history.
"What's neat is it's 100 years old and in excellent condition,"
she said. "It's wonderful that it's here and still able to bring joy to Redlands. I love these old houses. They're
what makes Redlands Redlands."
For more
information on the Charleston House, visit www.charlestonhouse1.com or call (909) 792-7979.Chaleston House Wedding
