There are things in your life that are priceless regardless of the amount of money you offer for them. You would never give in if someone offered you a million dollars to do so. That was the case with this woman, which is why the mall had no choice but to construct their structure around her home.
Edith Macefield was about to sell her home and lot for $1 million to developers who wanted to raze it and develop a mall. They’d have to demolish her house and build a shopping center. But Edith was adamant in her refusal, uttering the famous line: “No!”
This is her 100-year-old residence in Ballard, Washington. She lived her life according to her own standards and would not give in lightly to a prospective developer’s offer.
In all of her various endeavors, Edith has always shown that she has a great deal of perseverance. When she was 16 years old, Edith informed her mother that she was going to college, but the fact is that she had already joined the army and been sent to England as a result. They found out that she was underage, and she was discharged from service.
She remained in England, despite the fact that she had every opportunity to go to America. She also joined the Royal Army’s marching band and went on tour with it. Once, she convinced some of her friends that she was a secret agent. Edith then relocated to Ballard, Seattle, in 1952.
She has spent a long time in this house. In 2007, she was offered to sell her home, and she accepted. Since then, there has been a stand-off between them. She was adamant about keeping her home for herself.
In the end, the builders had no choice but to construct a vast office and retail complex around her home. The only remaining property that the developers hadn’t acquired was Edith’s house and lot. They did buy all of 46th street, with the exception of Edith’s home.
Edith and her century-old house became a symbol for anti-development and a “fiercely independent spirit.” In fact, in 2013, the ‘Macefield Music Festival’ was established in her honor of “holding onto things that are important to you.”
Edith died in 2008, and she bequeathed her beloved home to a friend and construction superintendent Barry Martin. Then, in 2009, Martin sold the property but it fell into foreclosure and was put up for sale.
According to reports, the home was supposed to be razed. The community made several attempts to preserve and maintain the house as a landmark. The efforts to raise funds to keep the home failed.
In late 2018, the builders announced that they would preserve the house as part of their project. The property is not only a wonderful backdrop for Instagram photos, but it’s also a place where people may purchase items. The house and its history continue to attract more visitors to the area.
The Macefield home, which still stands as a monument to resistance, is a testament to Edith Macefield’s tenacity.
