...Most of y'all know the story about Marge and Gene Padgitt, who purchased and thoroughly renovated the Ginger birth home in Indpendence, Missouri... Some of us were fortunate enough to make it to the Ginger Rogers Festival back in 2018, and got to meet Roberta Olden, Ginger's longtime assistant... well, here's the news from Marge herself, via FaceBook:
ANNOUNCEMENT: The Owens-Rogers Museum is closed and the house is for sale. Due to the coronavirus and a lack of interest in the museum, we have closed and put the house on the market. The museum will be moved to a new location and all items will be put on display in the new building, including the bricks that people purchased. A new site has not yet been obtained but we will post a notice when it is open. A press release will be posted on the blog shortly. The house has been fully renovated and restored to as close to the 1906 time period as possible. All of the original woodwork, claw foot tub and corner sink remain, and new 1940's period-look kitchen appliances are installed. The house comes mostly furnished. List price $109,000. Contact Marge Padgitt at threetrailscottages@gmail.com for more information. See more photos HERE.
Pretty sad news, to be sure... I know the Padgitts put a LOT of work into this project to make it true to the period, and the result was great! Unfortunately, just not enough foot traffic through there, and of course with the general shutdown we are all in currently, just proved to be unsustainable. With that, it would be great to see someone purchase the property that will retain the house in the style it has been renovated to... but I'm not getting my hopes up for that, as folks will want to alter things to fit their tastes.
If anything, it would be cool to have a more 'permanent' type of historical sign-marker at the site which would give a brief overview of the significance of the spot, and of Ginger's career.
It's a tough fact, but we Gingerologists are a dwindling bunch... for whatever reason, there just aren't as many folks who know about Ginger, or at least the awesome details of her career and life, as other actors/actresses... each generation fades the previous one that much more, sadly... with that, this blog I'm working on here is pretty dormant as well - nobody's fault, just still cranking at my new business and not enough time for it... and to me, you have to do this thang PROPERLY, or just don't DO it. The 'good' news is, I am in a bit of 'lull' at the present with work (mid-May is supposed to be gonzo, tho...) - but in the interim, I am going to get on here and try to 'catch up' as much as possible, beginning with the resumption of the 'This Day in Gingerology', as well as 'GingerFilms on TCM' schedule... and maybe even a few other things here and there, who knows.
But also, sad to hear of the Independence house up for sale... hey, perhaps one of Y'ALL could snag it!
Hope everyone out there is staying safe and well... this deal is gonna get over soon... just keep the faith, and of course, as always... KEEP IT GINGERY!!!
Hu
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