If there’s one thing State Representative Kevin Schreiber and his wife Jen, co-owner of the Green Bean Roasting Co., have in common, it’s…well, actually, most things.
A lot of it seems to revolve around art. Their collection does more than enhance their urban home; it tells the story of their lives. Along one mantel, a series of small paintings by local artist Brenda Wintermyer glows against a navy wall. First there’s the café where the Schreibers met in 2008: the former Sparky & Clarks, where Jen was a barista.
When Kevin was hired by the City of York, his office wasn’t quite ready, so he spent the first month working from home. A new ritual was born: stopping in to the café. This quickly became habit-forming, and it wasn’t just the caffeine. Kevin recalls, “I started lingering too long and flirting with the chatty barista.”
Which brings us to the second painting: a ring. To his morning café stops, Kevin had added Friday lunches at the coffee shop, and he and Jen had been dating for a while. On one particular Friday, he had someone plant a Wintermyer painting on one of the tables portraying the ring in his pocket.
“I was walking Jen out as she was getting off work, so I pointed to the painting and asked, ‘What’s that?’ recalls Kevin. Eager to get outside, Jen said she didn’t know and kept going. “I had to pull her back in.” Jen only caught on when Kevin knelt, holding out a small box. When she accepted, the other barista texted a friend next door who was waiting with a bottle of champagne.
Living the Urban Life
The city theme continues in the paintings, with another highlighting the spires and copper peaks of St. Patrick’s, where this couple was wed. A larger painting features the Schreibers’ first home in York’s historic Newton Square. Clearly, they enjoy the urban lifestyle. Jen’s café is located in the city, and Kevin is the State Representative for the city, so work is just a few blocks away. Kevin gets a lot done walking through town, talking to his constituents. In the process, he peruses what he calls York’s greatest asset: its architecture. He says, “Just walking your dog is like walking through an architectural gallery of craftsmanship.”
A portrait of their dog, Lucy, also sits on the mantel. Jen says their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel “is essentially their child.” So it makes sense that Kevin suggested naming their current house “Lucy’s Little Castle.” The name hasn’t stuck yet, but Lucy does reign over two porches and an inviting yard.
In the back, Kevin and Jen have added ornamental trees, wanting to establish a miniature ecosystem. Jen feeds the birds, wild animals, and mother-and-daughter yard cats, and she and Kevin often dine and entertain outside.
Kevin calls it “an absolutely perfect sort of English-European garden: our little backyard oasis.” He and Jen enjoyed watching the surprises that bloomed this past spring, their first in the home. They moved into the Stick Style Victorian on Memorial Day weekend of 2014, grateful that someone else had already fully renovated it (Their schedules don’t lend themselves easily to major restoration).
From Distressed to Dignified
In a strange twist of fate, Kevin, as the former community and economic development director for the city, had signed papers condemning the home—well before he had any inkling he might be moving anywhere.
Gary Geiselman of Olde York Homes, who rescued the dilapidated house with the backing of one of the principals from York Preservation Partners, says simply, “It was a mess.” The roof was leaking badly, the water lines had burst, and the turret was just barely connected by a two-by-four.
According to Mike Johnson of York Preservation Partners, the home was in the middle of a block of architectural beauties but was about to collapse: “The kitchen was about to fall into the basement, and the slate roof needed to be replaced, which would have cost around $75,000.” They went instead with architectural shingles, rescuing some of the slate for use on a house up the street.
Olde York Homes reinforced the turret and brought the mechanicals up to snuff. Consulting their vast library of historic homes, they restored the original fixtures and added a few built-ins. They converted a narrow back staircase to accommodate a refrigerator and a small nook upstairs. This made it possible to create much-needed closet space and, down the hall, a distinctly contemporary bathroom.
But they were careful to preserve the historic aspects of the home. “I always say the best compliment I could get is when no one can tell I’ve been there,” says Geiselman, “because it feels very original and just looks like a well maintained old house.” The exposed rafter tails and trim stand out in richly hued Georgian Ochre, Rookwood Terra Cotta, and Davenport Green against the Roycroft Brass, accentuating the home’s architectural details. These and the steep gabled roof are pure Stick Style. Later Queen Anne-era additions to the home, like the turret, were blended in with a period color scheme that merges both styles.
When the home’s transformation was complete, Kevin was offered a walk-through. As he and Jen toured the rooms, with their twelve-foot ceilings, original stained glass, and ornate fixtures, they came to the same realization: It had to be theirs. Jen recalls, “We absolutely fell for it. We could see ourselves being happy forever there.” For the sake of negotiating, they tried to hide how much they wanted it. But soon their name was on the deed and they were antiquing together (another passion they share).
Their first discovery, at Refindings in York, was a distressed Italianate buffet piece. As soon as they saw it, they knew it belonged in their dining room. Furnishing the home with a look inspired by the chic store Anthropologie, Jen was intentional about keeping everything casual and fun. “I never wanted to have that room that no one feels comfortable to sit in,” she laughs. Tasteful collections, like blue and white pottery, along with strong wall colors and personal touches, like a “Kiss Your Dog Daily” sign, create an elegant but homey feel.
Adding to the Story
For both Kevin and Jen, the home’s history speaks to them. Jen bakes for the café, so when they learned the house had been built by a baker, it felt like a natural connection.
As the story goes, Hermann Sauppe emigrated from Bremen, Germany, to York, later establishing a bakery just off Continental Square. Its success enabled him to build the home as well as one next to it for his son. Hermann’s Pennsylvania Dutch roots are apparent, with hex sign-like motifs in the stained glass, stair rail and fireplaces. Other details include an inviting reading nook and marble wainscoting in the foyer. The gas lighting in the living room, according to Jen, was quite the thing back in 1870, which is around when the home was likely built.
“It’s certainly a showpiece,” says Kevin, “unique as well as gorgeous. Olde York Homes restored every detail, right down to the brass window latches, the transoms over the doors, the brass doorknobs, everything.”
Kevin and Jen love adding to the home’s history with their own stories, bringing back mementos from their travels. “We don’t have a lot of time together, so for birthdays, we try to take a trip to a place we love or somewhere we’ve never been,” explains Jen. On one bookshelf sits a tiny memorial to Paris, while the decorative façade of the home recalls another favorite destination, Cape May.
Although Kevin and Jen share many things, one thing they don’t share is work schedules. The coffee business gets Jen up at 4:30 a.m. to be at work by 5 a.m. Kevin’s sessions at the capitol in Harrisburg often go well into the evening.
And because their careers are challenging and very public, having a calm place where they can chill is a priority. Kevin says, “I don’t have as much time at home as I like. When I do get time, I just enjoy relaxing with Jen and Lucy.” Weekends for the Schreibers often involve enjoying a good read (history for Kevin and the “Cupcakes and Cashmere” blog for Jen), an outing with Lucy, and one very important thing these two share: drinking the Green Bean’s coffee all day, every day.
Resources:
Restoration: Olde York Homes (www.oldeyorkhomes.com)
Paint: Linden Painters, York
Landscaping: Witman Landscaping, York (www.facebook.com/witmanlandscaping)
