Somewhere, there’s a retired mail carrier enjoying his twilight years, harboring a bit of ill will for Mike Teagarden and his siblings. But we’ll get to that in a minute.
Our story begins in 1938, when Teagarden’s grandparents, Robin and Ellen built a 1,400-square-foot Tudor at 5226 Morningside Avenue. Remarkably, Robin Teagarden filmed his home being built. “My grandfather loved video cameras, which back then was wild,” said Teagarden. Sharing the YouTube clip, he said, “the woman walking is my grandmother and the little boy is my uncle. My father and his siblings were raised in that house.”
A Hub for the Teagarden Family
Describing the two-story brick house as ‘quirky,’ Teagarden said his grandfather built the (rather steep) stairs leading to the second floor by hand. In the 1940s, he also added a second front door and a room let to boarders to generate income. And as long as Teagarden can remember, the house served as the noisy hub of activity for the large, close-knit family. “If I look through my childhood photos, there are just as many of me in that house as in my own,” Teagarden said. “It’s a great house full of wonderful memories.”
Hated by the Mailman
Later, that same home provided something of a touchstone and perhaps a springboard to Teagarden and his cousins. Six of the nine Teagarden grandchildren returned in early adulthood to live in the garage apartment. “When I came back from college, it was the perfect place to set down roots. It was free and it had free meals.” Teagarden laughs. Then he explains about the mailman. Not only were a handful of Teagardens rotating through the garage apartment at 5226 Morningside, they eventually rented the house next door, as well. With no automatic sorting or forwarding, figuring out the mail became… a bit of a challenge.
“I’m pretty sure the mailman on Morningside hates the Teagardens!”
Time to Move on
When Robin and Ellen passed away, Teagarden and his wife bought the beloved family home. When they eventually outgrew it, they rented it out, hoping to keep it in the family. Recently, though, they realized that it was time to pass it on to someone new.
“We came to the decision that we’re not likely to live there again and we don’t want to see it deteriorate. We’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s time to move on,” he said.
Listed at $615,000, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom Tudor comes with many of the original charming features (wood floors, built-ins, those handcrafted stairs). Upgrades include the renovated kitchen, the sparkling master bath, and plantation shutters. And don’t forget the garage apartment!
“Remember, it’s a quirky house,” said Teagarden, affectionately. “It will take the right person.”
Are you that right person? Start your own Morningside Avenue legacy here.
