This Old House Hour — Season 20
## The Watertown House & The Key West House: Season Overview Get ready to be swept away by two captivating stories unfolding within strikingly different homes – a grand Victorian mansion in upstate New York and a vibrant, sun-drenched bungalow in Florida’s Key West. This season, we delve into the secrets held within these walls as new owners inherit more than just property; they inherit legacies, mysteries, and unexpected connections to the past. In Watertown, Sarah inherits her estranged grandmother's imposing Victorian estate, only to discover a hidden history of family conflict and a series of unsettling events that suggest she’s not alone. As she attempts to restore both the house and her fractured family ties, long-buried secrets threaten to resurface, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. Meanwhile, in Key West, Melanie finds herself unexpectedly responsible for her late aunt's charming bungalow. Surrounded by a close-knit community and steeped in island lore, she soon realizes that her aunt’s seemingly idyllic life was far more complex than it appeared. A series of strange occurrences and the discovery of cryptic clues lead Melanie on a quest to unravel a decades-old mystery, forcing her to confront not only her aunt's past but also her own. Prepare for atmospheric suspense, compelling characters, and the enduring power of family secrets as *The Watertown House* and *The Key West House* intertwine, revealing that every home holds a story waiting to be told.
Our twentieth year on public television commenced with the restoration of a Victorian home dating back to approximately 1886, featuring a substantial addition from around 1915. Located in the Boston suburb of Watertown, Massachusetts, the h…
The program begins with a visit to the Watertown Arsenal, a former industrial site now poised for transformation into office buildings. The centerpiece of the development is the Italianate Commander's Residence, a stately brick mansion that…
As the house undergoes renovation, the crew begins to take down the imposing oak staircase, revealing the nuances of the new floor plan. A virtual reality walkthrough illustrates a design that necessitates the removal of all three staircase…
With a professionally erected scaffolding reaching towards the roofline, landscape architect Clarissa Rowe surveys the site, evaluating challenges – primarily overgrown trees and inadequate drainage – and potential remedies. The master carp…
Landscaper Roger Cook and arborist Matt Foti begin by marking trees for pruning or removal, followed by Matt's crew clearing away overgrown vegetation from the yard. Inside, the team starts the work of rebuilding the old oak staircase at th…
The team's efforts to finalize the second-floor renovation begin with engineered lumber, enabling expansive, open spaces in the redesigned kitchen. Landscape architect Clarissa Rowe presents two options for the yard's layout. Anticipating f…
The program begins with a stroll along a newly revitalized natural corridor that follows the Charles River in Watertown. The result of years of dedicated restoration by the Metropolitan District Commission, it is part of a continuous networ…
A representative from Dig Safe is present to explain the organization's purpose: to alert all utility companies of planned excavations, allowing them to mark any buried lines. Outside, Roger Cook and his team remove topsoil to begin excavat…
Entomologist and pest control specialist Steve Marken guides us through the house, illustrating the conditions that fostered the initial termite damage. Outside, Roger Cook demonstrates the drywell and drainage system he’s implemented to ad…
Roger Cook and Christian Bilodeau establish a living screen in the backyard with thirty-foot evergreens, utilizing Christian’s tree spade for the task. Tom reports on the project’s advancement: termite damage has required the complete repla…
On this episode of *This Old House*, a zero-clearance fireplace is installed, featuring a striking cast-iron firebox. Window rehabilitation specialist David Liberty demonstrates his time-tested technique for restoring the home’s original wi…
The construction site hummed with activity. Progress was evident on the back decking, where a new undermount system was being installed. Inside, the insulation crew diligently sprayed foam, creating a thermal barrier throughout the structur…
A crew led by Steve Kiernan is currently painting the exterior of the house, while another team constructs a white cedar fence and trellis along the driveway. Inside the kitchen, Fred Morgan details the time-honored technique of terrazzo fl…
The program begins with a tour of the basement's plumbing and heating system, highlighting a pressure-reducing valve that regulates incoming water pressure from 110 psi to a more manageable 65 psi. We observe no-hub cast iron waste lines, a…
Beneath the front lawn, a substantial waterproof barrier has been installed to manage water pumped from the basement. Chimney specialist Mark Schaub and his team present the recently restored fireplace in the front parlor, along with the Vi…
The team from *This Old House* sought lunch at Eastern Lamejun Bakery, a venerable Middle Eastern grocer, one of the country's oldest. (The Watertown area boasts a significant Armenian community.) At the construction site, Augustin Crooksto…
The host found the building nearing completion upon arrival: the fresh paint adorned the exterior, the copper gutters were installed, and Tommy and his team had finished the front porch, from its copper shingle roof to the newly laid steps.…
The host returned to find Roger Cook and his team laying sod on the front lawn. Inside, painting contractor Steve Kiernan was providing a demonstration on proper preparation and priming in the media room. The crew installed the commercial-g…
The Watertown project nears completion, and the final days offer a glimpse into the finished home. Richard Trethewey offers a tour, highlighting the stainless-steel cleanup sink in the kitchen, the completed bathrooms, and the laundry room.…
The master carpenter and his host discover paradise at the southern terminus of U.S. Route 1: Key West, Florida. Wandering the island's back streets, they encounter their newest renovation project – a house belonging to a Conch captain, ori…
Following the celebrated sunset over Mallory Square, the *This Old House* team begins the day's work. First, they consult with general contractor Roger Townsend to assess the jobsite’s advancement, while the master carpenter visits a local …
The program begins at Harry Truman's "Little White House," a beloved Key West landmark where the President spent numerous years recuperating after his initial arrival on the island to recover from a debilitating cold and exhaustion. Our hea…
The program begins at Truman Annex, a meticulously planned community situated on the grounds of what was once Key West's naval station. Later, we visit another such development, the town of Celebration, with architect Graham Gund. A project…
The episode begins amidst the bustling heart of Key West's maritime industry – the cruise ships. The This Old House team boards Carnival's Ecstasy, docked for the day, to explore its interiors. Back at the house, a glazier meticulously cuts…
The crew, still acclimating to the abundant sunshine, finds itself nearing the completion of the Key West project. Work on the site is vigorous. Window installer Charles Malta considers the various methods for balancing the traditional sash…
In Key West, the final day offers a glimpse into the property's newest features: a pool with a sophisticated cleaning system and a heat pump capable of both warming and cooling the water – a necessity for those enduring the island’s intense…
