BY ANDREW DUPONT
Clarkston News Staff Writer
For the last eight years, Amy and Greg Wilson have slowly uncovered the stories hidden within their own home.
After extensive research and lots of tender care, the Wilsons shared their story on Nov. 4, when they and their home at 18 N. Holcomb were filmed for a future episode of the HGTV show ‘If These Walls Could Talk,? which features historic homes and building in America.
‘If our walls could talk, they would have a lot to say,? Amy Wilson said. ‘Greg and I have a lot of pride that we pieced this back together to share with everyone.?
When they first moved into their new home to raise a family, Wilson said they knew it had been a birthing house at one time many decades ago, but not much else.
‘It really started unraveling once we moved in,? she said.
The house, which is estimated to be nearly 90 years old, was the home of Mary ‘Grandma? Green, a local midwife. It was where women would come and spend a few days before and after giving birth.
After they began to discover more details about the history of their home, the Wilsons began work to restore the historic look of both the exterior and interior. Along the way, they uncovered artifacts from the past, ranging from old newspapers to moonshine.
The big discovery came when Tammy Schmidt, a field producer for High Noon Productions, heard about the Wilsons? home through the Clarkston Historical Society. High Noon Productions creates new episodes of ‘If These Walls Could Talk? for HGTV.
The date was set, but just a day before the crew arrived, the Wilsons? got a surprise visit from Robert Jones of Clarkston. Jones, 69, was born in their home and had read about the upcoming filming in the newspaper.
The Wilsons invited Jones and his mother, Uldene, 94, to return to the home the day of the filming and partake in the show.
Before being filmed, Uldene spoke with Schmidt about her experience in the home nearly seven decades ago, saying hospitals had not yet replaced birthing homes.
‘It’s what everybody did,? she said, adding that she spent approximately 10 days in the home under the care of Grandma Green for the price of $30.
To everyone’s surprise, on the day of the filming, historic records had been found from the home with the details of births that had taken place there. Uldene was able to see the paper she filled out nearly 70 years ago when her son was born ? the pages still looked like they had just been written on.
‘I was amazed that they found those records,? said Jones. ‘Most of my history is right here in Clarkston.?
Episodes feature interviews with the home’s current owners and stage reenactments of moments involving the home’s history. As a result, the Wilson and Jones families became actors for the 10-hour shooting schedule day.
‘It was a long day,? Wilson said. ‘I was surprised by how long the whole day was for such a short segment.?
Besides sitting for interviews and acting out casual family moments for the camera, Wilson and the Jones reenacted the moment they met at the front door several times, while the single cameraman filmed them from various angles.
‘Hello, I’m Robert Jones and this is my mother Uldene, and I was born in this house,? Jones said numerous times.
Overall, Wilson said the whole event was very exciting and her daughters are very proud of the house, which has also been opened to school tours and a part of the Clarkston SCAMP home tours in the past.
Work is not done, though. Now their attention has been turned to the barn in the backyard, which is scheduled to be part of the historic barn tour next year. No date is set, but the episode of ‘If These Walls Could Talk? featuring the Wilsons? home is slated to run in 2007.