House tour de force
Visitors to this year's Butler County Symphony Association Holiday Tour of Homes should plan to wear comfortable shoes, since one of the fundraiser's five sites occupies 8,000 square feet.
But with 12-plus rooms, the house of Tom and Sue Mekis in Clearfield Township is more than just walking space. From family portraits painted by Sue's cousin to aerial photographs of homesteads and beautifully framed photos, there is no corner of this home that doesn't convey a link to their past.
Driving up the inlaid brick driveway to the Tudor home, one can't easily estimate the size of the home.
A porch wraps around three sides of the structure, which features another brick inlaid walkway to the front door.
The door opens onto a foyer with ceramic tile flooring. As foyers go, this one is pretty average except for its décor. Presiding there is a large Zildjian gong that Sue purchased as a gift for Tom.
While Tom has not yet wired the gong to work, his handiwork as designer, inventor and all-around creative guy is evidenced throughout the home that he designed and built.
A former vice president of Mekis Construction, Tom built the house with his first wife in 1983 when their kids were still at home. After Tom was widowed, Sue entered his life. Now the gong and many more of her touches are sprinkled throughout.Tom also made the frame for the gong, which echoes loudly when children visit.A white porcelain elephant from Italy also graces this space.A lovely rug handmade in China and procured on one of their trips there adorns the wall above the door.Hanging above the foyer also is a magnificent chandelier of Swarovski crystal."It wasn't original with the house. I had seen it and wanted it for about eight years," explained Tom, describing how it took two days to install the lamp using a pair of pliers to hang each of the 400 crystals.Walking up the nicely curved oak staircase one doesn't realize what a lengthy journey they are beginning as the three-story house weaves in and around the 40-foot commercial elevator shaft that accesses all the floors.Tastefully disguised by wooden doors, the elevator was built in as a practicality. It was used to haul the heavy fireplace blocks to the second floor."The stones are from the former Trinity Lutheran Church at the intersection of Third and Brady Streets near the hospital," Tom said."The church had white wooden siding on it, and when they were tearing it down they noticed it was stone underneath, so I hauled it out here and used it."
The living room on the second floor boasts 14-foot ceilings with Douglas fir beams. Nearby, an antique Ansonia clock sits above the entertainment center.The music room, which shares this space, has two pianos: a refurbished Brambach built around 1932 and a Steinway built in 1869.The Steinway was bought at auction for a mere pittance, then restored."We had the electronic player put in it so that it can be a player piano with CDs," Tom explained.Proceeding down a hallway flanked on one side by doors and the other a staircase, visitors will see a photo of the Mekis Farm in Glade Mills, where Tom began farming at age 10.The spare room is six- sided with unique angles and trim."The quilt on the bed was made by my Aunt Kay for our wedding in 1992. It contains 1,000 squares and is in the Irish chain pattern," Sue said.Leaving this room, one enters the 23- by 31-foot family room. The spacious room with lots of natural light has many uses."We call this our living room, but it is more of a meeting room," said Sue, who has been involved with Penn Christian Academy and has hosted countless meetings for it and other organizations.The oak flooring in this room is lovely. Near the door a china closet holds Sue's collection of Nippon China in a variety of patterns. The room also contains a portrait of Sue's father and a handmade kaleidoscope that belonged to Tom's aunt.Crafted of found objects like feathers, shells, colored glass and lace, the kaleidoscope's view is quite exquisite.This room also houses a pool table, entertainment center and a leaded glass light.Leaving this room and going left up a staircase takes tour goers to the third floor, which features one of several works in the house by local artist Fred Gold.To the right is the room they call the honeymoon suite.We were caring for our mother who was living here during the time we got married," Sue said.
"We had the wedding at the church and returned here for the reception which was held on the tennis court. Afterward, we had to clean up and care for Mom, so we spent our wedding night up here."On the wall is a needlepoint wedding sampler, and Sue's bridal veil sits on a stand in the corner. The suite also boasts a master bath with sweetheart bath tub.Across the hall is a spacious storage area, which also boasts the mechanism that runs the elevator. It also houses Sue's office in its plethora of shelves and closets."I was a schoolteacher for 34 years and I accumulated a lot of things," she noted.Back down the stairs is the master bedroom, which features a large oak headboard. His-and-her closets and a window to the front yard are just some of the offerings here. On the dresser is an Italian porcelain clock the couple purchased in Myrtle Beach.The master suite also features a bathroom with his-and- her sinks and a separate Jacuzzi tub.The kitchen on the first floor is crafted around an island with a lovely granite top in earthy colors and unique patterns. The kitchen features two refrigerators, two microwaves, a double oven, a cook-top stove and spacious counters.The lighted ceiling gives an airy feeling to the room, which opens onto a porch. The porch to the side of the house overlooks a white gazebo nestled in a valley in a stand of tall maples.The gazebo sits atop a spring once was used as part of the house's cooling system. Even though Tom has switched to conventional cooling, the water is still pumped and stored in a 32,000-gallon cistern underneath the garage.
The water level is maintained for outside watering and outdoors. It is also the water source for several fire hoses installed throughout the home.The dining room on this floor has a table that seats 12. The table is crafted of inlaid wood with unique grains and textures. Sue's childhood Hummel collection is housed in a curio cabinet against the wall, and a grandfather clock keeps time in the corner.A lovely hand-blown and painted glass and pitcher set acquired in Venice is not to be missed. There also is a portrait of Sue when she was 3 and a painting of Tom's mother as a child.The bedroom nearby is decorated with a southern flair. The room contains a Southern-style rice bed. The southern style detailing on the luxurious four-poster bed pairs with the Magnolia wallpaper used in this room. The milk glass and marble lamps on the dresser were given to Sue by her grandmother.The lower level of the house is dedicated to hobbies and recreation.Behind one door with steam on the windows is a heated indoor pool measuring 16 by 24 feet. The 4-foot-deep pool was a family favorite when the kids were little and now when the grandchildren visit.This area also houses two of Tom's workshops: one dedicated to remote-controlled airplane building and the other to woodworking and other projects.Nearby, shelves in a narrow room for food storage are lined with tomatoes, corn, juices, jellies and fruit, all canned in Sue's kitchen. The vegetables, along with many other personal touches, make this spacious structure a home.While the house is located farthest from Butler, don't let it fool you. It's really only a 10- minute drive from East Butler.Cars for this house will be parked at Clearfield Elementary school, just up the hill from the residence. From there, a shuttle bus will transport people to the residence.
<B>WHAT:</B> The Butler County Symphony Association 19th annual Holiday Tour of Homes<B>WHEN: </B>10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 22<B>WHERE: </B>The self-guided tour can begin at any of the locations and end with a reception from 11 a.m. from 4:30 p.m. at New Haven Court at Clearview, 100 New Haven Lane, Center Township.<B>TICKETS: </B>Tickets are available for $15 presale through Nov. 21 at the Symphony Office or May's Music Shoppe, 247 E. Jefferson St. Tickets will be sold for $18 on tour day at the Mekis home in Clearfield Township, accessed via shuttle from the Clearfield Township Elementary School or at these tour locations:• 542 N. Monroe St., Butler• 153 Unionville Road, Center Township• 836 Whitestown Road, Connoquenessing Township• 1582 Mahood Road, West Sunbury
