Kaleb Higgins purchased a three-story 1889 Second Empire home in Saint Louis. It needed lots of love and many repairs, but has a spectacular mansard roof! It was originally built by Charles S. Brown, who co-owned the Hall and Brown Woodworking Machine Company. Kaleb started The 2nd Empire Strikes Back YouTube channel to document the whole restoration, and it has become incredibly popular! In this episode he shares his passion for the history of the home, learning about the original family who occupied it, and how you can help him bring the house back to life! And is it possible that a viewer discovered a ghost in the home? Plus, this episode marks the return of Tim Prasil with a brand NEW installment of Spectral Edition! Visit BigSeance.com/198 for more info.

 

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In this episode:

Episode Teaser :00

Intro :54

Remember our friend Tim Prasil and the Spectral Edition? Stay tuned after the interview for a brand new installment! 1:37

Some background on Kaleb Higgins and his popular YouTube channel, The Second Empire Strikes Back. 2:13

What drew Kaleb to purchasing this 1889 Second Empire house in the Saint Louis Place neighborhood? 6:11

The house’s current condition and what goes into restoring it. 8:27

The Charles S. Brown family, the Hall and Brown Woodworking Machine Company, historic dog tags, and the history of the house. 10:50

Kaleb is truly bringing something back to life. A home that has a history, a history connected to humans who had their own lives and passions, and their own legacies. Kaleb is doing this with passion and empathy, and he’s sharing it with the world by letting us hang out with him while he does his magic. 14:03

How do you balance time and work in the house with creating the content? 15:06

Getting feedback and support from viewers. 17:14

Finding and returning letters from World War II. 19:15

The search for Hall and Brown machinery and historic interior photos from the home. 20:51

“Good bones” and a great historic photo of the Brown family in front of the house! 24:40

The beauty and purpose of a mansard roof! 26:37

Making a connection with the past. 28:25

"It’s always been more than a house." 32:04

Does a ghost reside in the home? 33:19

Kim’s Second Empire Strikes Back Vlogs 38:11

Wallpaper, contractors, financing, and when will we get to see the finished product? 40:25

How can you support Kaleb and the Second Empire Strikes Back Project? 45:16

Kaleb Higgins the Artist 47:25

Kaleb’s final thoughts and where to find Second Empire Strikes Back! 51:49

Railroad EXTRA #1 - A brand NEW Spectral Edition with Tim Prasil! 55:34

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 1:05:25

Outro 1:07:39

 

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The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the séance!