My New Happy: The UP House

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

The UP House

UP is my favorite Pixar movie of all time.  Actually, with due respect to Cinderella and Snow White, I think it's my favorite Disney movie of all time.  

The story of Carl Frederickson and his journey to keep a promise to his late wife Ellie is beautiful and heart warming, and the animation is brilliant.

Sadly, the house that has been linked to the movie (but did not inspire it, according to Disney) is about to be torn down.  I wanted to see it before that happens, so we headed to Ballard on Sunday to find the UP house.

It's not easy to locate.  First of all, it barely resembles the beautiful home that Edith Macefield left behind when she died in 2008 at the age of 86.



Secondly, it's surrounded on three sides by a retail development called "Ballard Blocks".  In 2006, the builders offered the stubborn and feisty Mrs. Macefield $1 million dollars for her 115 year old home.  She turned them down, saying at the time "I don't want to move.  I don't need the money.  Money doesn't mean anything".  She wasn't "anti-progress".  She just felt that she was too old and sick to move, and knew that all the money in the world wouldn't be worth it to leave the house where she wanted to die.

They built around her.  And she turned up the volume on her tv and said "they'll be done eventually".

During construction, Mrs. Macefield made friends with the superintendent of the project, Barry Martin.  When she passed away, with no surviving relatives, she left the house to him.  He subsequently sold it in 2009 for $310,000, but it soon went into foreclosure, as the buyer learned that it would cost too much to bring the house up to code.



So unless someone figures out a way to lift the house UP with balloons, it will be knocked down in ninety days.  Definitely not a Disney ending for this pretty little house that has stood in Ballard for more than a hundred years.

It may not have inspired the movie UP, but I love the story of the brave Mrs. Macefield, who wouldn't let anyone tell her what to do, and stayed with her home when others told her to go. Seeing the house and thinking about that kind of determination brought tears to my eyes.

Well done, Edith Macefield, well done.

13 comments:

  1. Omgosh nooo this is so sad! It's just like the movie. When life imitates art!

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    1. Betiton considering how new the product is. You will find more than enough sports and a wide range.

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  2. What a great story, although a sad ending. I also just love the movie Up!

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  3. I love that movie too! What a great story! It's too bad that it's being torn down now!

    Jill
    Doused In Pink

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  4. LOVE that movie, I cry my heart out everytime I watch it!
    very interesting story about the house, she sounds like an awesome lady!

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  5. What a great story!! Thanks for sharing!! Kudos to Mrs. Macefield for sticking to her guns!!

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  6. Sometimes there is not enough money... the older I get, the more I agree... I wouldn't let anyone talk me into something like that either... she was very inspiring ♡

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  7. Oh wow, what a story!! Thank you for sharing. She sounded like a true fighter.

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  8. Oh I didn't know this story!! I love this movie!! Way to go Edith!! Susan

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  9. How is it that I have small kids and I've never seen UP? Now I have to.

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  10. Oh I'm with you. What a remarkable gal she must have been. It is so sad that the house went into foreclosure. Golly - too bad someone can't step in and just pour a bucket of money into the house. Or better yet, move it to a spot where it will be treasured.

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  11. UP was such a wonderful movie. I always wonder why it is that it is just assumed people would want to leave their home, just because their property is wanted for something else. Good for Mrs. Masefield for holding on to what was hers!

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  12. Your article was both enjoyable and insightful. Thank you for encouraging engagement through comments.

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