Before Carl and Russell took their adventures into the wilds of Venezuela, the iconic cottage house in Disney and Pixar's Up was still on the ground, in the midst of encroaching high-rise construction.
In Seattle, the story of this house had a very similar plot.
Meet Edith Macefield.
Edith's goal was to stay in her own home as long as possible.
In 2006 she was offered $1,000,000 for her property. She turned it down.
When construction of the neighboring high-rise brought cranes over her house, she turned up the television.
Enter Barry Martin, construction chief of the project around Edith's house.
When Edith became increasingly ill with pancreatic cancer, it was Barry who took care of her.
Edith died in 2008, at the age of 86, in her house just like she wanted. And she left her little house to Barry.
Inspired by their friendship and the experience, Barry wrote a book about everything he had learned from Edith.
In addition to being the suspected inspiration for Up, Edith's legacy has reached far and wide.
In 2008, the house was sold for $310,000. The structure will be slightly expanded, but left largely intact and used for real estate training and as a community center.
As much as she loved her home, at the end of her life, Edith was realistic about the realities of change and the long-term future of the space.
Thanks, Edith.
