Having a lot of stuff isn’t everything. What truly counts is family, friends, and a joyful home.
So when builders offered Edith Macefield one million dollars to leave her house so they could tear it down and create more shops and services, she simply said “No.”
Macefield wanted to remain in her 100-year-old home in Ballard, Washington. Some people called her decision “punk rock” or “rebellious,” even saying it was like giving capitalism the finger for always wanting more growth to make money.
It’s unclear if Macefield thought that way but she lived life on her own terms no matter what others thought.
BostWiki says that at 16 she told her mom she was going to college but secretly joined the army which took her to England. She got kicked out once they found out she was too young. In England, she took care of war orphans and even played with the Royal Army’s marching band.
She also tricked some friends into thinking she was a spy!
In 1952 Macefield moved to Ballard in Seattle.
After refusing the offer for her house in 2007, there was a standoff between her and the developers.
So she kept living there while they built huge office buildings around it! They bought up all of 46th street except for Macefield’s place.
The big grey buildings are nothing like the quiet neighborhood by the lake that used to be there when Ballard first came along.
Although Disney Pixar claims their movie “Up” wasn’t directly inspired by Macefield’s house; they did attach balloons to promote it! Her home became a local symbol against development and represented an independent spirit.
In2013 they named the Macefield Music Festival afterher as tribute for holding onto what matters most!
