Edith Macefield
| Edith Macefield | |
|---|---|
| Born | Oregon |
| Died | June 2008 (aged 86–87) Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Known for | Real-estate holdout |
Edith Macefield (b. 1921 Oregon, d. June 15, 2008 Seattle, Washington) achieved worldwide notoriety in 2006 when she stubbornly[1][2][3] turned down US$1 million to sell her home to make way for a commercial development in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle.[1][4][5] In the process, she became something of a folk hero.[6] Instead, the five-story project was built around her 108-year-old farmhouse,[2] where she died at age 86.
After her death it was revealed that Macefield willed her house to the new building's construction superintendent, Barry Martin, in gratitude for the friendship he had shown her during the construction.[3] Martin told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Two or three times she was basically going to sell and move, and then I know the last time she ended up falling and breaking some ribs, and that kind of took the gas out of her, and then it was just too much work."[7]
A Ballard tattoo artist has since created a design based on Macefield's house in remembrance of her, and as a commitment to, "holding on to things that are important to you." Ten people so far are reported to have gotten the tattoo.[8][9]
On May 26, 2009, Disney publicists attached balloons to the roof of Macefield's house, as a promotional tie-in to their film Up, in which an aging widower's home is similarly surrounded by looming development.[10]
In July 2009 Barry Martin sold the house to Greg Pinneo for $310,000. Greg Pinneo intends to use the house as an office to run his real estate coaching firm.[11]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Mulady, Kathy (2008-06-16). "Edith Macefield, 1921-2008: Ballard woman held her ground as change closed in around her". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/367335_obitmacefield18.html.
- ^ a b "Even for $1-million". The Associated Press. 2007-10-03. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071003.wmacefield1003/BNStory/International/home.
- ^ a b Mulady, Kathy (2007-10-03). "Old Ballard's new hero digs in as retail project envelops her home". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/333917_macefield02.html.
- ^ Westneat, Danny (2006-02-08). "Big offer for tiny home leaves woman unmoved". Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002791343_danny08.html.
- ^ Hartman, Steve (2007-10-12). "The Woman Who Wouldn’t Sell: She’s Standing In The Way Of Progress - So They’re Building A Shopping Center Around Her". CBS Evening News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/12/assignment_america/main3362950.shtml.
- ^ Norris, Michele (2008-06-20). "All Things Considered: Remembering Seattle's Edith Macefield". National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91748718.
- ^ Cohen, Aubrey (2009-03-10). "Ballard woman's last stand is still standing". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/403025_ballardhouse11.html.
- ^ "Edith Macefield's Army of Tattoos". MyBallard.com. 2009-03-26. http://www.myballard.com/2009/03/26/edith-macefields-army-of-tattoos/.
- ^ Mosley, Tonya (2009-03-26). "Ballard residents honoring Edith Macefield with tattoos". KING5 TV. Archived from the original on 2009-03-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20090330022056/http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_032609WAB-macefield-tattoo-KS.7402e160.html.
- ^ Guzmán, Mónica (2009-05-26). "Wind sabotages 'UP' balloon display over Macefield home". The Big Blog. SeattlePI.com. http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/archives/169511.asp?from=blog_last3. "When publicists for Disney's "UP" announced they were going to tie balloons to late local hero Edith Macefield's house in Ballard as a promotional stunt, we thought hundreds, maybe even thousands of the colorful helium globs would reach into the sky, dwarfing the small bungalow below and putting the surrounding complex to shame... Turns out the display had many more balloons when it was first set up at 9 a.m. Then the wind blew, pushing the balloons into the surrounding walls, where they began to pop."
- ^ "Washington: Little House Has New Owner and Purpose". The Associated Press. 2009-07-08. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/us/09brfs-LITTLEHOUSEH_BRF.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=Edith%20Macefield&st=cse.
[edit] References
- Jidong, Dong (19 April 2010). "Chinese 'nail households' strive for fairness". China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2010-04/19/content_9746595.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-25
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