Few of Edith’s belongings go to needy family

A kitchen table, two dressers and an ironing board were among the few belongings moved out of Edith Macefield’s home today. Barry Martin, who’s now tending to Edith’s estate, said he gave them to the family of a longtime friend of Edith who had recently fallen on tough times. “Edith would’ve liked it that way,” he said, standing in front of the small, white house on NW 46th St. “Seems like that’s what’s supposed to happen.”

Martin says he knows he’ll have to move the rest of Edith’s belongings soon. “There’s a few things in there I plan on taking for myself, but I can’t,” he said. “I’m still struggling with it.” He did take one thing with him today: a porcelain clown, which he remembers seeing when he visited her every day.

Martin said his construction work as a superintendent on the Ballard Blocks I development is nearing completion, and he still plans to sell Edith’s house, but doesn’t know exactly when. And what about suggestions to turn the property into a memorial? Or park? “To try to do some kind of memorial, she would think that was silly,” he said. “To turn it into a park, well down here it would just turn into a public restroom.” He said Edith told him that she didn’t care about the house. “She said it really doesn’t matter,” Martin said. “She said in 20 years from now, they’ll tear this whole building down and build something new…. She just really wanted it to kind of go away.” (Thanks Daniel for the tip!)

Last August: Construction chief tending to Edith’s estate