When renovating their historic Craftsman home on West Palmyra, the Wencels chose “Fern Green” for the exterior paint in keeping with authentic colors of the period. White-and-black trim enhance the home’s details.
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Retirees John and Sheri Wencel have fully embraced life in Old Towne Orange since moving to West Palmyra Ave. four years ago, drawn by history, family and the walkable charm of their neighborhood just blocks from the Plaza.
Having relocated from their longtime home in San Diego, the empty nesters appreciate living close to their adult children, two of whom had already moved to Orange for work and school. Together, the Wencels have four children—three from Sheri’s previous marriage and one from John’s.
The Wencel’s introduction to Old Towne came when they visited John’s daughter, who had purchased a nearby home in 2020.
“We went to Avila’s El Ranchito restaurant and fell in love with the neighborhood as we sat outside and dined,” says Sheri. “Our daughter later spotted the home for sale and told us about it. It had good bones, but it had been through a lot. We could see the potential and decided to take it on.”
Located on the corner of West Palmyra Ave. just a block from the Plaza, the 1910 Craftsman home was a well-known Chapman sorority house for almost two decades. Through the years, the home’s original layout had been completely reconfigured—much of the natural flow blocked by walls, room additions, extraneous doors and narrow hallways.
Sheri and John Wencel, on the front porch with their daughter, granddaughter and Otto the Pug.
Showcasing a coffee bar, pantry and hickory island, the renovated kitchen reveals the home’s original brick chimney previously hidden behind a wall.
As seen from the dining room, the elegant stairway leads up to the finished attic. The primary bedroom suite is located down the hall from the dining room.
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Although most of the original windows, doors and wood trim were still intact, the original floorplan was a mystery. The extensive renovation took nine months.
“I had completely remodeled our house in San Diego, so I knew I could probably tackle this one relatively easily, but it turned out to be a lot more than we expected,” admits John.
The couple worked with the Old Towne Preservation Association to find out what they would need to do to receive an official historic-designation bronze plaque. John did a deep dive into the home’s history.
According to records at the archives in Santa Ana, the original owner was John Syester, a farmer from Connecticut. In the 1800s, he settled in Iowa, and met his wife, Rachel. He joined the U.S. Army for a few years, and then came to Orange to work in the orange fields.
“He became a real estate guy and had three or four more homes built as rentals,” says John. “He was 65 when he built this house. His son Bill built a house two years later on Olive Street just a half block away.”
A retired robotics engineer, John enjoys his hobby of building RC airplanes in the finished basement.
The couple created a home theater in the basement complete with nostalgic memorabilia.
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Interestingly, that shared history led to unexpected connections when the current owners of Bill’s house came to visit the Wencels and noticed their bronze plaque on the exterior.
“They had no idea the two homes were related until they saw the plaque,” says John.
Although the remodel was a daunting undertaking, John, who retired in 2010, is no stranger to ambitious projects—having been an offshore mechanical engineer who designed and built underwater robotics.
“I think my engineering background really helped,” he says. “I was here every day with the contractor. We had a vision of what we wanted.”
What they wanted was a home that felt true to its Craftsman roots. Over the years, the house had been everything from a private residence to apartments to even a church-owned property, and of course a sorority house. At one point, the attic had been divided into living spaces. The home had two electric meters, and nearly every door had a deadbolt.
“There were three doors going into one bathroom,” Sheri laughs. “We counted eight extra doors, including a mystery door that opened into the master bathroom from the outside. We have heard stories from neighbors about when this was a sorority house. Apparently, the floor had been rebuilt after it collapsed during a dance party. We met one of the girls. She said she remembered all the fun times in this house.”
John and Sheri spend time with their granddaughter working on a jigsaw puzzle.
Most of the home’s windows feature the original wavy-glass panes from the era. All the interior and exterior doors are made of original Douglas Fir.
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The nine-month renovation revealed just how much work lay beneath the surface. The upstairs ceiling sagged nearly five inches. Sewer lines had to be replaced. Walls came down, plumbing was redone, and structural beams were reinforced. What was once a small living room and parlor in the front of the house now unfolds into one room.
When the Wencels opened up the kitchen by removing a hallway bathroom, they uncovered one of the home’s greatest features: a fully intact brick chimney running from the basement to the roof.
“The chimney was completely buried inside a wall,” says John. “All original brick.”
Today, the exposed chimney stands as the focal point in the kitchen, alongside Shaker-style cabinetry, floor-to-ceiling pantries, a built-in coffee bar and a rolling library ladder to reach the upper shelves. A hickory butcher block tops the kitchen island, and modern appliances blend into the design.
Meanwhile, the huge basement now serves as a crafts room with work benches and a movie theater. There’s even a popcorn machine for their grandkids. John spends time in the basement building complex remote-control airplanes, a hobby he takes to a park in Irvine for flight time.
Outside, a Craftsman-style fence encloses the yard while raised garden beds grace the backyard. The massive Ficus tree out front—visible in aerial photos from the 1920s—shades the house and keeps it cool in the summer.
The backyard is a favorite gathering place for the couple when family and friends come to visit.
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The Wencels have quickly become part of the fabric of Old Towne. Sheri stays busy with the Woman’s Club of Orange. She also likes gardening, as well as cooking family dinners that happen at least once a week.
For Halloween, the house earned neighborhood recognition as “scariest house” for their haunted gardens décor. Their Christmas decorations are always festive and extensive.
“We go a little crazy with our holiday decorations,” Sheri admits.
Life in Old Towne includes walks to the Plaza for shopping and dining, or hanging out with Otto, the pug, on the wraparound porch, John’s favorite spot in the house.
“I sit out there long enough so that people who walk by will wave,” he says. “That’s Old Towne.”
Though the home may look finished to passersby, the Wencels insist it’s a work in progress. John recently replaced five non-original window panes with reproduction wavy glass. He did all the glazing himself. Additionally, he plans to update some of the fencing in the near future.
Now that they’ve improved the “curb appeal” of the previously unattractive property, the Wencels have done more than just restore a historic home—they have become a part of its next chapter, all while making memories with neighbors, family and friends.
“Four years in, Old Towne feels like our community,” says Sheri. “We love the small-town vibes here. There’s really no place like it anywhere in Southern California.”
