Have you ever dreamed of living in a place where history whispers at every corner?
Share your story and submit your 250-500 word essay, along with a $200 entry fee, on why Fredericksburg’s timeless charm inspires you to compete for a stunning 5,500 square foot home in one of Virginia’s most cherished historical cities.
So I 100% just entered this contest : )
You have to write an essay on what you would do with this $1.8Mil property in order to win – with points awarded to the most creative and original – so of course I had to share my vision of turning it into a “free store” for the community! And maybe slipped in a fashion show idea too!
Very low odds of winning it I’d imagine, but as my friend Courtney Parker texted me this morning, “Share your plans with the Lord, and you will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3 CEV)
We will see what happens! And I invite YOU to apply too if there’s a dream you think this property can bring to fruition. You do have to pay $200 just for the shot of it, but maybe ask yourself how much your dream is worth to you? Or even better – use that $200 to *start* on your dreams today!! This is your sign if you’ve been waiting for one : )
Here’s the announcement to learn more via Fredericksburg Free Press: The ‘write’ stuff: Essay contest to determine next owner of historic downtown home
And here is the contest site to apply: WriteYourWayHome.net [now offline]
Good luck!
Here was my entry:
Good Morrow, Fellow Citizens of Fredericksburgh!
As a long-time area resident, admirer, and amateur historian of this great town of Fredericksburg, Virginia, this opportunity is a convergence of my true passions and current work in the community.
For the past 6 months, I have been running a free mobile closet in the area, working with local volunteers to collect and distribute over 18,000 items of clothing and essentials to those who need it the most. Currently limited to the use of my personal van and garage as our operational centers, we are confident that becoming the new steward of this property would drastically amplify our impact, essentially speeding up our expansion plans and accomplishing in one year what would otherwise take five!
We would do this by first converting the detached garage and bedroom into a “free store,” where anyone in the area could conveniently “shop” for clothing and essentials at no charge, thereby removing barriers to access basic needs that no person should ever be without. This alone would triple our impact and available inventory we can offer, and immediately give us another avenue of distribution in conjunction with the current mobile operations already in place.
Secondly, we would use the expansive courtyard to host a plethora of community events, including free dinners, roundtable discussions, and our inaugural fundraiser – a red carpet fashion show, featuring members of the homeless community who get to be the stars for the day and share their story, along with their style, on the runway. We all know how important looking and feeling good is for our self-respect and dignity, and this property allows for ample opportunities to spread awareness around this and gather as a community.
As for the main house, this would make for a perfect weekend retreat for my extended family, where three generations of Thomases could continue to enjoy adventures together in the town we all so cherish. This includes two grandparents, three adult children and their spouses, and nine grandchildren ranging in age from 1 year to 17 years old. We are currently spread out across surrounding counties, and this retreat would give all 16 of us a central location for making new memories. “Thomasville” would officially be established!
These are my sincerest wishes, and I thank you immensely for the possibility of making them come true. A week before I learned of this contest, I had driven by the “For Sale” sign in the front yard and immediately envisioned the exact plans laid out above. It is due to this literal, and figurative, sign that I stand before you and excitedly submit my entry into this grand contest.
I am, your most obedient and humble servant,
C. Thomas
P.S. It might also be of interest to know that at age 45 I already have a family cemetery plot picked out and purchased in the City Cemetery. This is how much I adore this city – I plan on residing here for life, and beyond!
Fingers Crossed! We will get this Free Store one way or another!
UPDATE: Whelp, we did not win… But neither did anyone else. The contest got cancelled after some technical difficulties and other issues a few weeks in 😭
There’s a lot of suspicion around this (did the house finally find a buyer? was it all a marketing ploy?) but after some emailing back and forth with the contest organizers I trust they had good intentions. They ended up selecting 20 entries to compete for a $300 consolation prize, as well as giving all the rest of us our money back, but mine was not selected as one of them. So maybe we never stood a chance to begin with?
Either way, it was a fun exercise to go down, and my disappointment only solidified my desire to have this “free store” 🙂 So we’ll have to start more proactively looking around now! Perhaps there’s an even better location for us right around the corner somewhere?