Grandma Platt's house is currently in the loving hands of the artists of Down the Street Art Gallery.
Minette Hart
Down the Street Art Gallery
In the late 1800’s a house was built to simply be a home for Mr. and Mrs. Platt. Little did the house know what its life would be like and the changes it would encounter.
Since the American Gulch runs through the original acreage of the old property lines and floods during the heavy monsoon rains, the house was built up on higher ground, even with the original road that was then and is still called Main Street It was built with rough 12” x 20’ planks, the outside covered with hand-milled clapboard. Inside, the rough planks were covered with fabric-backed wallpaper.
The back yard sported an outhouse with two seats (families were closer then). Around 1920, when Grandma Platt built a house next door for her daughter Lena and her husband, the Platt house was updated with an addition housing an indoor bathroom and electricity. The electricity consisted of two plugs and two bare-bulb ceiling lights. The ceiling was dropped down to 12 feet and the walls and wallpaper were covered with beaverboard (pre sheet rock).
The original well was hand dug and shored with rocks and stones to prevent it from collapsing. The well was considered the first town well by many a Paysonite. Those who didn’t have a well, and most didn’t, were welcome to share in its use.
Until the late 1980s there was a wooden water storage tower. It was sold by the owner at that time and could not be traced to buy it back. The new owners (Minette and Michael) consider it a great loss.
Grandma Platt lost her husband after only one year of marriage. That left her on her own with a young child and a living to be made. Since she was an excellent baker, she sold her wares to local families. She was encouraged to bring her goodies to all local gatherings.
The Grandma Platt house was also known as the first bed and breakfast in Payson. Grandma had only one room to rent out. For the price of $1 you could get dinner, breakfast and a nice clean place to lay your weary head. I’m sure you also had the use of the two-seater outhouse.
As the older generations passed away the house was handed down within the family, eventually being rented out to just about anyone who could put a few bucks together. The house began to show the ravages of time and neglect. It was the host to many a party for the young renters who lived there over those years. It was a wild and crazy time for the house.
It was sold around 1985 outside of the family, to a man who had a small construction company. He bought it as an investment, planning on renovating. But he let his life get out of control and was forced to sell. So in 1990, Minette Michael Richardson purchased the house.
The house had renters in it and the Richardsons had to wait until their lease ended to get into it and start their plans for renovation. They put in all new wiring and plumbing, stripped years of layers of paint off the doors, countertops and the old claw foot bath tub.
The original plan was to open an art gallery. Even though there were plenty of artists ready for such an adventure the town itself wasn’t, and Minette and Michael had four children to raise and needed a viable business. So they altered their plans and opened Minette’s Place for Cuts and Stuff, a hair salon. The house was still heated by an old wood stove and cooled by a swamp cooler they installed.
Over the years, the Richardson’s have enclosed the porch on the east side of the house, installed central heating and cooling, replaced some of the old clapboard that was beyond restoring. It has truly been a labor of love.
In 2004, Minette moved back to Michigan to care for her terminally ill parents. Leaving her salon in the capable hands of her staff, she returned a year later with a different outlook on life after the death of both of her parents and one of her longtime best friends, all within months of each other.
Realizing how quickly time passes, she decided it was time to make the dream a reality. Artists of the Rim, a co-op art gallery had recently opened up the street and with their blessing and encouragement she knew the time was right to open her gallery.
Wood artisan Dan Basinski, a long time acquaintance, contacted her the very next day after her announcement to open a gallery. And before she knew it artists were knocking on her door voicing an interest in being involved.
With the energy and help of a few artista (Basinski, GAIL, April Bower and Storybead, all still members of the gallery) Down The Street Art Gallery LLC. was launched on Dec. 15, 2006. The gallery now hosts 19 co-op members and is always looking for new artists.
Grandma Platt’s house has seen birth, death, family, love and laughter, many a rodeo and ruckus rodeo dance, wild parties with drinking and drugs, a successful hair salon and finally an art gallery. The house and the spirits that dwell within are happy with the positive energy of the artists who occupy it.
Who knows what the next 100 years are going to bring to Grandma Platt’s house, but Minette is sure it can only be good.
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