
We Thurlows moved into our new house on Banyan Road on Sewall’s Point on Veteran’s Day 1974. It is hard to believe it was 50 years ago.
Dick Granfield designed our house and Paul Siefker of Indiantown’s Martinique Construction, was our contractor.
Years later, when we needed a handicap bath downstairs, Dick’s architect son, Stewart Granfield, designed a pleasing addition.

Dick Granfield placed our house near the street with a big circular driveway that came close to our front door. Visitors have easy access.
The driveway was great when our kids were little. Other neighborhood children liked to bring their scooters and Big Wheels to our house because of the driveway was not on a busy street and had a gentle slope. Later it was skateboards.


A noble black man, Charles Lynn, designed and poured our driveway. Ten years later, when Mr. Lynn put in a walkway at the side of our house, I realized he was an artist in his trade who appreciated the beauty of proper proportion and gentle curves.

Old and new friends respond to an open invitation to sit in the Thurlow driveway on Friday evenings.
So now our driveway that was so popular with the youngsters is popular with the oldsters. Friday, driveway gatherings that began during COVID 19, continue.


Tom Thurlow, in the orange shirt, is no longer with us but his friends continue to gather in his driveway on Friday evenings. Notice the small ramp that allowed his wheelchair to access the driveway.


Neighbors, like Curt Grimmer’s Sulcata Tortoise sometimes drop by on Fridays. Chuck Schad is amused.

Our most regular guest is Chuck Schad, who was Tom Thurlow’s classmate in Liverpool, New York, and who came to visit him by bus after the Thurlows moved to Stuart in 1952. He and his wife, Audrey, moved to Stuart, in 1963 where Chuck’s local banking career began with First National that is now Seacoast.

Thank you, Mr. Lynn. Thank you, Dick Granfield. Thank you, Paul Siefker.
I love my 50 year-old house.