Historic Dundee is full of unique homes and beautiful architecture. Many businesses and public spaces boast about their history and are proud to preserve and maintain it. The residential buildings are less noticeable on first glance; however, if one were to take a stroll down Jackson Street where it crosses 51st Ave, a certain home stands out among the crowd. Some might even say it’s unmissable, owing to the singular gargoyle overlooking the second floor balcony. Valerie Spellman can't help but be proud of both the stately home and its guardian gargoyle.“I grew up in Dundee, so I wanted to stay in Dundee,” Spellman said. My parents still live in the same house I grew up in, and I have that same kind of feeling here, like I want to be here as long as possible.” Living in the house since 2015, Spellman, her son Lorenzo, and their long-haired dog, Leo, have made the building their forever home.“This is my first home,” Spellman shared, proudly displaying the interior filled with decor from local artists. “I’d never owned a house before, so I went from a duplex to this.” Spellman has certainly enjoyed being a homeowner and host. Built in 1925, the house has stood for nearly a century, which Spellman plans to celebrate in the upcoming year. “I’m going to have some kind of party, because 100 years is a long time,” she averred.
While window shopping for homes in 2015, there was one unique detail about this house that made the purchasing decision easy for her. “The thing that really got me excited—when I felt like this was meant to be for me—was that gargoyle outside,” she said. “It’s a bat; my son’s last name is ‘Batt,’ we’ve always been ‘the Batts,’” she explained.
The stone bat, almost caged in by the bars on the balcony where it perches, sealed the deal for the Batts—it was too much of a coincidence, and Spellman felt the presence of its looming visage telling her this was meant to be her home. “Gargoyles are for protection,” she explained. “There’s a lot of meaning with bats too, like death and rebirth, and they’re protectors as well.” Though not especially large, the gargoyle in question demands the attention of any passers-by and silently declares the house a safe haven for the Batt family.
The gargoyle and building structure has remained since its erection, but Spellman felt the need for a splash of color to brighten up the dull grey exterior. The home now boasts light blue walls with eye-catching yellow doors juxtaposed next to black-framed windows. “I repainted the exterior just last year, which was a massive undertaking,” she reflected. “I just wanted to make it mine. It took me months to figure out the color. I asked interior designers, artist friends, and then I found this color and it just makes me feel safe, secure, and peaceful.” The blue hue is, Spellman said, “technically in the grey family, but it looks more blue depending on the light.”
Marrying this calming blue-grey to the bright, energizing yellow she chose for the doors was a bold move that paid off—Spellman’s home garners attention from any who lay eyes on it while avoiding the categorization of neighborhood eyesore. “I think a home needs to be a place where you feel safe and at peace, so the color does that for me.”
This article originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Omaha Home magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
