Less than a minute off Lincoln Way on the southern end of Aeolia Drive, snaking its way along the American River Canyon rim, I arrived at the neatly trimmed Craftsman-style home at 137 Aeolia Drive.
There I met Chris and Tory Kile, who moved in to the home nearly 25 years ago. The previous owner was Auburn veterinarian “Mac” McLeod, a Scottish expatriate who rubbed shoulders with English country veterinarian James Herriott, famous author of “All Creatures Great and Small.”
The Kiles’ Craftsman bungalow is comfortably ensconced in Aeolia Heights, one of Auburn’s oldest and most desirable neighborhoods developed from a 70-acre family-owned olive orchard in the late 1800s, and host to some 5,000 olive trees in its heyday from 1885 to 1900.
Their modest home is bordered on the west side of the property by a dramatic 7-foot-high stone wall that radiates the early morning sun and lights up the bungalow’s soft blue shingles and bright white trim.
Hard by the imposing wall is a comfortable bench ideal for an early morning cup of coffee while enjoying the filtered view of the Sierra Nevada and the canyon below.
The far side of the front yard, geometrically separated by aggregate concrete walkways, features a towering palmetto tree, bird bath and koi pond gravity fed by an artesian well on the property.
Their Arts and Crafts Movement-era home was built in 1929 and, with the Kiles’ nurturing, has retained the original charm from its early 20th century construction.
Chris, a lifelong Auburn native and Arts and Crafts Movement aficionado, spent much of his youth growing up in a Victorian-style home at 161 Orange in Downtown Auburn. He and Tory were attracted to this home because it was “unaltered,” very simple, and true to the credo of the Craftsman style that was popular from the early 1900s through 1930.
Tory has transformed the lush lawn and grounds into a metaphor for life.
About 15 years ago, when she was pulling weeds to make way for new spring flowers, she experienced an epiphany. She found great solace “pulling out the bad, and putting in the good.”
From that day forward, gardening became a passion instead of a task. And the bright, happy results smile back year-round from a variety of vibrant blossoming flowers.
Walking up the stairs to the deep front porch, there are long overlapping eaves consistent with Frank Lloyd Wright’s design principles to block the penetrating rays of an evening sun while providing a clear view of the distant landscape.
Through the front door all the benchmarks of the Arts and Craft Movement are in evidence, from the vintage pendant lighting, sparkling oak hardwood floors, tongue-and-groove beadboard wainscoting in the living and dining rooms, to extensive built-in cabinetry, ivory white pedestal sinks and clawfoot tubs in the baths.
In the master bath, the handsomely restored tub was a gift from Chris’ mom, who found it in a farm field in Klamath Falls, Ore., bought it for five dollars and hauled it home to Auburn.
As we were discussing his passion for his home, its history and the development of the Arts and Craft Movement, Chris brought out a stack of American Bungalow magazines that featured a picture of a bookcase in his living room, the actual model for an ad by Stickley Furniture.
Gustav Stickley was one of the early avatars of the Arts and Craft Movement in the early 20th century in the United States, particularly in Southern California, and was no stranger to Chris.
An avid biker, Chris explores the canyon daily and has logged more than 35,000 miles from the bottom of the confluence up Stagecoach Trail and back to Aeolia. Many mornings before daybreak, Tory drives him to the bottom of the canyon before going to work, and Chris emerges hours later, both exhausted and exhilarated, having mastered the challenging terrain.
From our chat, I learned from Chris that Aeolia is derived from Aeolus, the Greek mythological god of wind, who lived on the mystical island of Aeolia. Maybe the gods have decided to smile on Chris and be the wind beneath his wings.
Jerry Sellers is a Realtor with HomeTown Realtors in Auburn, he can be reached at (916) 871-8801, or e-mail him at seejerry@seehometown.com.
