It's time to bring you up to date on
the Shady Dell's extreme makeover.
In the past year the 87 year old Dell house has undergone extensive renovation inside and out, including a new heating and air conditioning system, electrical upgrade, a new roof, new decking and restored porches, grading, landscaping,
tree and vine removal and new shrubs. Original Dell rats who marveled at the changes made on the outside are in for the shock of their lives when they see what's going on inside!
Toni Deroche
* Dell Owner
* Senior
New Dellie
Correspondent
* Violet Hill
Bureau Chief
The last time we heard from Dell owner Toni Deroche was last fall when the exterior of the house was being painted and winterized. Work is now underway inside the house and Toni is back to bring us the latest photos.
Toni...
be my guest!
Shady, before we go inside.....
I would like to point out that nearly all of the Dell's windows
are being replaced, more than 30 in all.

However, the original
stained glass windows
on the front of the
house facing
Starcross Road
will remain intact
because they add
so much character.
As we step inside
the front door, the
first thing you will
notice is that the
long narrow
hallway is gone.
The wall on the
left side was
removed,
opening up
the interior
considerably.
When we move forward a few paces, do an about-face
and look back at the front door...
you can see how the removal of the hallway wall allows
easy access to the front room. You can also see another
stained glass pane above the door. This must have been
one classy house back in the day!
Let's go through the door on the left in the above photo
so that we can view one of the areas that was off-limits
to Dell rats.
This was once the Ettlines' living room. The bay window is
one of the many amenities to be found throughout the Dell
house. Plans call for this space to be divided by a wall and
become a dining room and office.
If we go back out to the entrance where we started we
can view in the above picture a portion of the front room
that can be used for casual dining such as a breakfast nook
in conjunction with a proposed eat-in kitchen.
In the image below we have moved a few more paces back,
allowing us to see the close proximity of the eating area to
the middle section of the room where the modern, walk-thru
kitchen will be located. The kitchen will have an island and
all new appliances.
On the left side of this picture you'll notice 2X4s running
along the interior wall. That's where the kitchen cabinets
and appliances will be installed. On the right you can see
one of the original restroom doors that now leads, not to
blessed bladder bliss, but directly out to the Dell's
magnificent porch.

at this point, I would like to remind readers that it was
here in this room (above)
that generations of Dell rats occupied rows of restaurant booths, munched on goodies prepared by Helen Ettline, listened to the jukebox, and took care of teenage business. In the late 60s the booths were removed and a fooseball table was installed, followed in later years by a pool table. All of it is gone now.
Toni, back to you.
Shady, the photo below, taken from the front door,
shows the same kitchen area from a different angle.
Notice those 2X4s lining the interior wall which is now on
the right side of the frame. In case you're wondering, that
large stainless steel object on the far left is the original
Shady Dell soda fountain. It was moved out of the way
while work was ongoing. Beyond it and just to the right
you can see that the other restroom door, the one that
once led to the ladies' room, has been converted into a
window.
Now let's proceed to the rear of the house and examine
the picture below. The room that for decades contained
the Dell's snack bar, stools, grill and soda fountain is
hardly recognizable now that those familiar trappings
have been removed.
The area where the old snack bar was located is destined
to become the great room with sofa, chairs, TV, etc.
When we walk through the door in the background we
enter a narrow room where a completely new 1/2 bath
and laundry will be installed.
For many years the room was used for storage but there
is evidence that it started out as a porch that was later
enclosed.
The picture below, taken from the laundry at the far rear
of the first floor, gives us a full length view of this side of
the house. The great room which was once the snack bar
is in the foreground. The center of the picture is where the
new kitchen will be located. In the far background you can
see the space set aside for a table and chairs that will be
incorporated with the kitchen and used for casual everyday
dining. At this point I would like to mention that new
hardwood flooring will be installed on this main floor and
that plumbing has been upgraded throughout the house.
The blue and white door on the left in the above photo
leads us downstairs to the basement, another area that
was out of bounds to Dell patrons.
The basement, which consists of the rectangular room
above and an L-shaped chamber behind it, has been
cleared of trash and debris, cleaned, brightened with
white paint, and a new door installed. The basement
will be heated and air conditioned. It doesn't take
much to imagine this space as a man cave or rec room
with ping-pong, pool tables and what have you.
Now that we've seen the basement and the first floor
let's proceed up to the second and third floors which
were also off-limits to Dell customers.
The four bedroom second floor is being converted into three
bedrooms with two full baths.
The main attraction will be a spacious new master bedroom
that is being created by removing a wall between an existing
bedroom and the Ettlines' old dining room.

The Ettlines' dining room, shown above, will be converted
into a sitting room adjoining the master bedroom.
Panning to the right gives us a better look at the Dell's
second bay window which will be an attractive feature
What used to be the Ettlines' upstairs kitchen (above) will
now become the master bath and a closet. A deck on the
outside of the house can be accessed from this room.
Layers of old wallpaper throughout the house are being
stripped away. Walls and ceilings will be getting new 1/4"
sheet rock drywall and insulation will be blown into the walls.
The entire second floor will get new carpeting. Bathrooms
will have tile floors. When we climb the stairway on the left
in the picture above we will arrive on the third floor.
The appearance of the three room attic is changing rapidly.
The picture above was taken around mid March. The next
three pictures below were taken only one week later.
The walls and ceiling have been stripped. Soon heating and
air conditioning ducts will be installed. Incidentally, the odd
shaped custom fitted window visible in the center of the
main wall is one of the few Dell windows that will not be
replaced.
Drywall will be applied throughout the attic. The walls and
ceiling will be repainted and new carpeting will be installed.
Heating, air conditioning, new walls and ceiling, fresh paint
and carpeting...with all of those improvements the attic
could easily serve as a 4th bedroom!
Shady... that completes
our tour of the Dell house
which at the moment is
an empty nest, but not
for long. Our goal is to
transform the three story
brick structure from an
aging fixer-upper into a
beautiful, comfortable
modern home that will
retain a great deal of
its original idyllic charm.
Once the interior work
has been completed we
will be staging the home with furnishings, decora-
tions and accessories including vintage 1930s art deco
ceiling light fixtures and chandeliers, colorful towels,
pictures, hanging baskets of flowers on the porches and
other personal touches that will make the home as warm
and inviting as possible.
Toni, that's music to my ears. The next chapter of Pimp My Dell promises to be the most exciting ever. We'll get to see the finished product and I know it'll blow our minds. The attic already looks like Hef's private suite at the Playboy mansion!
Thank you very much Toni Deroche for
your entertaining and informative report
and for bringing us another series of
fascinating and historically significant
photographs!
I would like to conclude this Dell update with one last image captured by Toni from that second floor deck outside the old kitchen. It shows us what the barn/dance hall complex looks like today.
Winters have not been kind. The barn is in obvious disrepair. For those of us who made it our home away from home all those years ago it's nearly impossible to believe that this shabby shack is the same spot where all of that magic happened, the legendary hangout that once rocked and rolled with hundreds of teenagers a night, a place where
the psychodramas and the traumas of countless youth played out, a sanctuary wherein is recorded our own
version of American Graffiti and dwell our fondest memories. The long-term fate of the barn remains uncertain. Dell rats can only hope that it will not be reduced to rubble but will instead be preserved forever.
Have a Shady day!
It is wonderful to know that the Dell is being restored and will be better than ever thanks to the very attractive Toni. I can hardly wait to see the finished project that will no doubt be amazing. It must be fun for you seeing pictures of areas of the home that Dell Rats were not allowed. Will you actually be taking a tour of the finished project Shady? Oh, and did I mention that Toni is very attractive. Have a great day and a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteOdie
Odie - I double checked and yes, you DID mention that Toni is attractive! (LOL) Yes, it's a lot of fun for Dell rats to be able to see areas that were off-limits including the large attic. Did you know that the Ettlines harbored battered women up there, keeping them safe from their abusive men? It's all part of the Dell's rich and colorful history which continues to be written! Thank you for visiting and commenting, Odie!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see the finished product. I have such a funky vision of The Dell, in my imagination.. It's going to be even funkier seeing it as a modern-day home.. :)
ReplyDeletePencilGirl - It's surreal to see only empty space in rooms where I used to eat subs and fries, drink cherry cokes, watch TV, listen to music and play pinball. The Dell is for sale and is going to make somebody a very nice home! Thank you very much for taking the tour, dear friend P-Girl!
ReplyDeleteAh, I think it's brilliant that Dell is being restored. I ought to check by to view the finished nest.
ReplyDeleteAfterall without history there is no present. I so enjoyed the journey and the tour. Warmly hope you are well on this fine Monday;-)
FA&OF - Hello again, my dear friend! I'm always delighted to find your calling card on my blog. I'm glad you enjoyed taking a look around my old hangout and I hope you'll stick around for more of my rat tales including the final unveiling. Thank you again for your visit and have a splendid day and week in Paris!
ReplyDeleteHi Shady. Yes, Odie, we can all see that Toni is very attractive. Grrrr!! Gosh, it's a huge building. I thought for a moment that it was going to be a hotel or something, but Toni says that it's actually going to be a home. That's going to be some home my friend! What do you really feel Shady, about seeing the place you love stripped bare like this. I suppose the only alternative would be for it to go to rack and ruin and perhaps even be demolished, and I guess you wouldn't want that either. It's certainly some project that they have taken on there! Hope the Typhoons keep away from you!!
ReplyDeleteThisisme - You're absolutely right! Others have discussed this and agreed that a teenage hangout like the Dell could not exist in this day and age. You can't go back so you must go forward. When you think of the alternatives the extreme makeover and sale as a private residence is by far the best option. As Belle noted on her blog today "C" is for change and for most Dell rats this is a change we can live with. Thanks for coming over, dear Thisisme, and have a grand day in Devon!
ReplyDeletewow that is quite a renovation project. Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.
ReplyDeleteAmber Blue Bird - I'm sure it will make some eyes pop. We must remember that the inside of the house is only part of the story. The outside is freshly painted and refurbished and the large property has been cleared, graded and landscaped. Another factor is location - location - location. The view from the Dell is terrific because the three story house is perched on the side of Violet Hill overlooking the suburbs of York. Thanks for the fly-by, Amber Blue Bird, and have a great day and week, dear friend!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful place. I particulary like the windows and I'm glad the new owner is restoring it in a tasteful manor with 1930's style furnishings. Can't wait also to see the finish!
ReplyDelete♥
Leanne
Leanne - So true! The Deroches are getting the job done right and every Dell rat feels lucky to have that family as the current Dell owners. The outcome could have been much different in less capable or less caring hands. Thank you for taking a look around and enjoy the rest of your day in Liverpool, my dear friend!
ReplyDeleteThank you dear friend for stopping by and not forgetting me...Wonderful that the are keeping it alive.(although I do love that wall paper!)
ReplyDeleteGingeyginge - It's wonderful to hear from you again, my dear English friend! I fancied that wallpaper myself and yet it's seen better days and had to go. When you look at the place even at this stage of the renovation it's hard to believe it was constructed in the Roaring 20s! Have a fabulous week and please stay in touch, Gingey!
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing the photos and reading about the metamorphosis of the former Dell. It's good to know the bay windows, stained glass windows and hopefully the transom windows will all remain. I know it must be a little bittersweet concerning the change. I have a feeling a hundred years from now the home's occupants will hear the light strains of 1960s soul music.
ReplyDeleteAs always, Shady, excellent! Thank you!
Cindy - The fairy tale ending would be for an original Dell rat to buy the place, move in, and live there happily ever after with sounds of the 50s and 60s piped throughout the house and grounds just as they were in the old days. An unlikely scenario, but miracles have already happened up on that hill so I'm not ruling anything out. Maybe you and Clint.....? Thanks for bringing your smiling face over to my space and have a terrific week, dear friend Cindy!
ReplyDeleteWhen you said the Ettlines sheltered battered women up in the attic my heart was moved. I knew from your posts that they were loving people, but I did not know they did this kind and wonderful thing for desperate women. No wonder they were loved! My grandfather and grandmother used to take in pregnant teenagers in the 1930s and 1940s.
ReplyDeleteI would love to live in a house like the Dell. All the windows and rooms look so bright and cheery, and I've wanted an attic since I read, "Little Women". I'm sure it will look amazing when it is finished.
Belle - Your grandparents must have been a lot like Helen and John because the Ettlines also helped unwed mothers, friends who were down on their luck and needed money and even complete strangers who were in a jam. Back then people like the Ettlines and your grandparents didn't wait for agencies and organizations to intervene. They assumed responsibility for helping people and took action. Thank you very much for your comment, dear Belle!
ReplyDeleteJust stumbled across this but what I have seen looks amazing. I will have to stumble back again soon when more pictures are up.
ReplyDeletevisions unto myself
Just stumbled across this but what I have seen looks amazing. I will have to stumble back again soon when more pictures are up.
ReplyDeletevisions unto myself
Kara - Yes, by all means come back. I'm pleased to have you here and I hope you'll find lots to like. Thank you for your comment and have a great evening in Kansas!
ReplyDeleteHi Shady! So great to be back to see you! The Dell looks GREAT! How exciting for both of you! I'm so glad Toni decided to keep those beautiful upper windows, they add so much character! Also, I completely understand the need to take down the old wallpaper, but I must say it reminded me of my sweet Grandma's house! I miss wallpaper! I wish it were back in style!
ReplyDeleteBut I digress! Hope you're well, Shady! Have a great day!
Hi, Joanie! It's great to see you back in action and I'm so pleased that you swung by in time to catch our Dell face lift update. Only now am I beginning to realize how little attention I paid to the Dell house when I was a regular patron in the 60s. I never noticed those stained glass windows, the bay windows or much of anything else. I suppose my mind was mainly on the music and the girls. Thank you very much for making time for me today and please come back soon, Joan!
ReplyDeleteWow! This is so amazing to see! It's a pity the original features of the house like that amazing wallpaper couldn't be kept intact, but I suppose having someone take the time and effort to lovingly restore a place so rich in culture and history is a great consolation! It really looks amazing, I'm very much looking forward to seeing the finished result! It must be so strange for you to see it like this!
ReplyDeleteEmma x
Hi, Emma! Yes, it's surreal to see the old place transformed into something that I no longer recognize. In my heart I know this is the best outcome, however, because the changes go far beyond cosmetic to include safety upgrades, new electrical wiring, enhanced structural integrity, insulation, plumbing, heating and air conditioning. It all adds up to a scenario that has made most old timers very happy. You are a great friend for taking the time to visit, read and comment, Emma. Thank you and have a fine Thursday in picturesque Ireland!
ReplyDeleteExciting Shady!
ReplyDeleteAdore the brick facade~
Lenore Nevermore - What's exciting to me is the fact that you took time out from your travels in Singapore to visit me and comment. That's very sweet of you, dear friend! I hope you're having a wonderful time way over there. Please stay in touch!
ReplyDeleteafter following your blog for months i'd love to visit what remains of the dell in person...i understand that sound strange to see a place where you grew up and share a lot of memories turned into something completely different..it's a bit sad
ReplyDeleteKatia - I'm sure you would enjoy strolling around the Shady Dell both inside and out. Yes, all of the changes make me sad in a way but the face lift is far better than a date with the wrecking ball. Thank you for visiting and commenting and have a wonderful day and evening in Italy, my dear friend!
ReplyDeleteHi Shady -
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in your blog, and actually anything related to the Shady Dell for an important reason: my Mother was born in Violet Hill and lived in the original house long before it became the teen attraction. Her father had it built and she lived there as a little girl before financial problems caused her family to move. As the youngest of her three children, I am interested in collecting information for a family history, and am looking for information about the property after my grandparents sold it.My mother, by the way, is now 99.She is the last of her immediate family but still remembers some details about the house and neighborhood from the time when she was a little girl. (i.e. She remembers sledding down the hill where the York Hospital now stands and the schoolhouse she attended at the same spot.She also remembers the name of her first grade teacher!) However, since she was very young and understandably traumatized when they moved, she has forgotten a lot. Much information is lost in the mists of time I'm afraid.
Tom Argento from the York Daily Record is going to meet Mother in a few days. Before he talks to her, I'm going to share the pictures of the house and its renovation with her and see if they help jog her memory. While she is quite frail at her advanced age, she is still "with it" and I think she will enjoy seeing pictures of her childhood home once again even if it is vastly different from what she knew as a youngster. I'm so happy it is being restored since it is part of my family's story. I was really afraid it would be destroyed.
Since Mother is the last of the original 'children' who lived in this wonderful house,she is quite literally living history whose memories I would like to document before a valuable link to the past is lost.
I'm looking for information that would help fill in the gaps in her memory. If you think you can help me, or know of anybody else who could, I'd appreciate your help. We have a few old photographs of the family and property from the time when my mother lived there. Perhaps you would like to add them to your website as well. Thank you for your blog; it will insure that The Dell and its unique place in history will never be forgotten.
I hope to hear from you, even if I'm not officially a "Dell Rat"!
Kathy
Hi, Kathy! I am delighted to hear from you! Your mother can be a tremendously valuable source of information and I would treasure any pictures that I can add to my collection here on the blog.
ReplyDeleteI am very eager to make an email connection with you. Please submit another comment to this same post and include your email address. This archive section of my blog is moderated and I promise that your email address won't be published. As soon as I receive your email address I will get in touch with you.
Thank you very much for contacting me, Kathy! I look forward to hearing from you again soon!
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