84-Year-Old Rejects Million Dollar Offer, Forces Shopping Mall To Build Around Her House

How far will you go to safeguard what you care about? Protecting the home Edith Macefield had lived in for years meant turning down a $1 million bid. She was hesitant to leave her memories behind, even if it meant tremendous fortune, after living in her house for many years. Edith, who died in 2008, created a lasting legacy in Seattle by refusing to sell her home despite a substantial offer from developers.

Her house in Ballard, Seattle, was sandwiched between two plots of property that had been purchased by developers for a commercial mall. However, they needed to buy Edith’s land in order to build the mall according to their ideas. They increased the offer till it reached a whooping one million dollars to convince her to sell. Holding on to her home meant foregoing money she could have used to relocate to a better location. But money didn’t mean as much to her as her cherished house, and there was no place greater than the one she already had.

This is why Edith Macefield remained steadfast in her refusal of the developers, proving that ordinary people can take on larger enterprises. Continue reading to hear Edith’s tale and learn what occurred.

The developers demanded Edith’s property in order to finish the mall according to the design, but she refused. The developers offered the 84-year-old $1 million to relocate, but she believed her property was worth much more, according to Curbed Seattle. It’s wonderful to see how the elderly lady recognized the worth of her home throughout the years.

Giving away her house would mean letting go of valuable memories from her long life. Developers had no choice but to go back to the drawings and come up with a fresh concept that didn’t require the area that Edith’s house occupied.

Many residents in the neighborhood accepted the developers’ reasonable offers and migrated to new homes. The majority of her neighbors had moved out, leaving her to savor the memories she had created in her house. Developers had to construct a wall around her house. Edith was soon surrounded by supermarkets, condos, bakeries, and a slew of other companies, and her home began to appear as if it had arrived after the others, rather than the other way around.

Commercial developers were unable to avoid Edith, but they were able to avoid her home. To come up with a fresh strategy, the developers had to go back to the drawing board. It took a long time for them to come up with a fresh layout to fit the 1000-square-foot house. The developers were able to persuade all of the other landowners in the area, but Edith was determined. Edith’s modest home looked to be a classic piece of décor once the mall was built.

Even before she died, Edith made sure that her home was secure and that it would continue to exist for a long time after she was gone. According to Curbed Seattle, Edith had an unusual connection with Barry Martin, a construction chief, before she died. Because she was regarded to be closed off to development, the friendship was unusual.

She had no motive to form a friendship with a construction superintendent, yet she did. Barry used to drive her to and from the hospital after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Edith confided in Barry, and Edith confided in Barry.

Martin looked after her well.

She left her house to Barry when she died in 2008, certain that he would take good care of it and guarantee that it would survive for many years. The home is still standing after all these years. Barry had hoped to transform the house into a monument for Edith, but he was unable to do so. He put the house up for auction and sold it to a firm called Reach Returns. The corporation planned to open a coffee shop, so they altered the area and repainted the walls, but their idea failed. The mall’s proprietors tried to incorporate the structure into the mall as a tourist attraction and pop-up restaurant place as late as 2018. The mansion, as well as Edith’s narrative, served as inspiration for the Disney film Up.

The home is still standing unoccupied in the exact position it has always been in 2021.

The residence was eventually foreclosed on due to $300,000 in tax debts. The house was already a burden at that time, and no one wanted to buy it. The OPAL Community Land Trust attempted to save the home, but it was unsuccessful. The house is still standing today. Do you find Edith’s story inspiring? Don’t forget to tell your friends and family about this incredible tale!