Couple finds gem of a house in former Allman residence in Macon

Steve and Terri Teodecki love old houses. They love antiques and history, and hailing from Detroit, they love music.

But when they found their dream home on Bond Street this summer, they really didn’t know just how perfect a fit the house would be.

The five-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,500-square-foot home built before 1890 served as the residence for Duane Allman and his family in 1969 when the house was subdivided into an upstairs apartment.

Allman lived there with his wife Donna and their infant daughter, Galadrielle, before the family moved to the Big House in 1970.

The Teodeckis, who said they were big fans of The Allman Brothers Band long before they moved to Middle Georgia, had no idea of the house’s link with the band when they made an offer on it in July.

“It’s been a big adventure for us,” Steve Teodecki said. “We didn’t know about (the Duane Allman connection) at all. After the inspection was done, on the last day to finalize the contract ... we were talking to a neighbor and there was a girl there who was really excited about us getting the house. She started to tell us how the family lived upstairs.”

The friend also told the Teodeckis that Galadrielle Allman, who now lives in California, had been in Macon for a memorial get-together for Joseph “Red Dog” Campbell, the band’s legendary roadie who died in February. While Allman was in town, she toured the house and made an offer for it, only to find out that the Teodeckis were about to close on it.

“We wanted to meet her,” said Terri Teodecki, who added that the couple hopes to get in contact with Allman and invite her to come by.

Even finding the house had been a series of good breaks for the Teodeckis. Steve Teodecki had been laid off as a contractor for General Motors and had been looking for work for eight or nine months before landing a job with Terma North America in Warner Robins about two years ago. Terri moved down a year later when the couple decided the move to Middle Georgia was permanent.

But they didn’t want to stay in an apartment in Warner Robins. So Steve began looking for houses in the College Hill Corridor neighborhood near Mercer University.

Eventually, they looked at a house farther up Bond Street that was even bigger than their current home, but that house needed significant work, the couple said. A Realtor suggested the big, old pink house near the corner of Bond and College streets as something that might be suitable.

Because the house had been in foreclosure for more than a year, when the Teodeckis heard the price, they put down an offer immediately and eventually got it for $136,000. Thanks to a series of historic tax credits and other programs through Historic Macon, the couple was able to make about $30,000 in improvements and repairs.

Josh Rogers, director of Historic Macon, said couples like the Teodeckis are ideal for the historic homes in the neighborhood because they value the historic aspect.

“In the historic district, we end up playing matchmaker, making sure the perfect people find the right house,” Rogers said. “We’re finding a new generation of preservationists. ... People are attracted to the lifestyle of the neighborhood, where they can walk everywhere, and then those people start caring about these historic houses.”

Rogers said couples like the Teodeckis have benefited from a series of programs, including one that freezes the property tax on a house for eight-and-a-half years at the tax rate before renovations are made. In addition, the Teodeckis earned a 25-percent state income tax credit on the money they put in for the renovations.

Steve Teodecki said he is applying for another program, a facade loan from Historic Macon, in which he can borrow up to $10,000 at a five-year interest rate of 2 percent. He’s going to use the money to make repairs to the front porch of the house.

Even with all of the programs, the couple said they clicked with the house almost immediately. The previous owner had made interesting design choices to the house, including an upstairs room that has vinyl records glued to the walls and LP albums glued to the ceiling, in the same room that Duane Allman likely used as a living room.

The Teodeckis may also be sharing the residence with a ghost. The couple put up a painting over the fireplace in what used to be Duane Allman’s bedroom. It slid off the hook to which it was secured and was leaned on a small shelf against the wall without breaking. Also, one of the records glued to the wall detached and fell to the floor just after Galadrielle Allman’s visit -- the Allman Brothers’ “Eat A Peach” LP.

Terri Teodecki said she’s a believer in houses with ghosts.

“I’m very sensitive to that,” she said. “They seem to like me.”

The couple said they are constantly learning new things about the house. One musician told them he used to jam with Duane Allman, who used to store all of his guitars under his bed.

Last week, Terri was surprised to find about 40 people in front of her house as part of the local Rock Candy Tour. She sat on the front porch and listened while tour guide Jessica Walden explained to the group about the house’s history.

Though the couple has gotten a membership to the Big House, heard former Allman Brothers keyboardist perform at the Cox Capitol Theatre and met the parents of drummer Butch Trucks at the H&H Restaurant, the couple said they are eager to take the tour and find out more about the city’s music heritage.

“The house has been overwhelming for me,” Terri said. “It’s beautiful.”

To contact writer Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334.

This story was originally published January 3, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Couple finds gem of a house in former Allman residence in Macon."