Last week Louis and I went to Aiken, South Carolina for a book-signing by the author of The Great American House, a beautiful coffee-table book illustrating the allure of traditional residential architecture in the United States.

The author, Gil Schafer, grew up in Cleveland, as I did, and often visited his maternal grandmother's Southern home in Thomasville, Georgia.

Louis and I visited Thomasville several years ago on our way to the Panhandle on vacation.  A distant cousin of mine had suggested that we tour her family's home there, a place called Pebble Hill.  It turns out that Gil's great-grandfather, Howard Hanna, brother of famed Cleveland businessman and politician, Mark Hanna, had established his Southern residence in Thomasville, property that was split into two parcels when he died: one became Pebble Hill and the other Melrose, the home of Gil's grandmother.  So he and my friend Sandy are cousins.

It further turned out that Gil's paternal grandfather's brother had a place in Florida.  He was signing my book as he told me this.  I asked him where in Florida.  He said Palm Beach.  Intrigued, because my maternal great grandfather, C.W. Bingham, had established a Southern residence in Palm Beach in 1896, I asked Gil where in Palm Beach.   He said South Ocean Blvd.  He said it was odd because he'd visited the house once when he was a young architect, and taken many pictures that came in handy later when the house was sold and he was working for the architectural firm that did the renovations for the new owner.  As far as I knew, there were only three pieces of residential property along South Ocean Blvd. in Palm Beach, all of them part of the original property belonging to my great grandfather, who split the property three ways for his three surviving children when he died:  northernmost Harry Payne Bingham, middle Elizabeth Bingham Blossom, and southernmost Frances Payne Bolton.

My grandmother and grandfather inherited the original house, known as Figulus.  So I asked Gil what was the street address of his family's property, which he said he couldn't necessarily remember accurately, but when he said the number, I knew it was the property of Frances and Chester Bolton, known as Casa Apava, built in the 1920s..  Yes, Gil offered, his grandfather was Chester Bolton's brother.  So he and I are, at least, cousins by marriage.  What a surprise, what a coincidence, what a charming connection.

If you are interested in architecture, or in social history, you will enjoy Gil's book.  Another book you might want to look at is a history of Palm Beach by Augustus Mayhew called Lost in Wonderland: Reflections on Palm Beach.

Enjoy!