Crazy as it might seem, the now-beloved holiday film “A Christmas Story” didn’t make much of an impression with moviegoers when it first hit the big screen in 1983. But tell that to the Neptune Beach homeowner who erected a 20-foot version of The Old Man’s “major award” — the infamous leg lamp — in front of his home to celebrate the season.
He’s not the only one; giant replicas of the lamp have been showing up at homes across the country — Pittsburgh, Des Moines and a small town in Oklahoma, which erected a permanent version that’s 50 feet tall.
That type of devotion is what led Jacksonville resident Brian Jones in 2004 to purchase the Cleveland property used in the movie. He bought the late 19th-century home on eBay, of all places, for $150,000 and spent the next two years meticulously recreating the rooms shown in the film.
The exterior of the House from A Christmas Story Museum evokes a scene from the classic holiday film. Jacksonville resident Brian Jones bought the Cleveland house in 2004, along with many surrounding properties. After nearly two decades of intense restoration and expansion, Jones placed the complex on the market in late 2022. A year later, it was announced that longtime employee Joshua Dickerson – now CEO – had taken an equity stake in the enterprise and became its managing partner.
He also purchased several other properties on the block, turning them into a gift shop, museum and the Bumpus House (the neighbors whose pack of dogs managed to steal the Parker family’s Christmas turkey).
In late 2022, Jones apparently decided his time as a custodian of movie history had come to an end and put the entire complex on the market. After rumors swirled that several of the original cast members were looking to buy it — even Ralphie himself, actor Peter Billingsley — or that it was a gimmick to tie in with the release of the sequel, a buyer was finally announced late last year.
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, the new owner is Joshua Dickerson, who started working at the museum warehouse in 2008 before moving up to the front office, eventually becoming CEO of the operation. While exact terms of the sale are not clear, the story reports that Dickerson took “an equity stake in the company” and would assume the role of managing partner.
During an interview with Good Morning Cleveland not long after the new owner was announced, Jones called himself the “steward” of the project and stated he wanted to “walk away knowing the business he built from the ground up would be cared for.” His tenure at the helm of the enterprise included not just overseeing the museum, gift shop and bed-and-breakfast properties, but also hosting the annual Christmas Story Run.
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The 5K and 10K events raised money for The Cleveland Street Foundation (named for the fictional street where the Parkers lived), which helped other homeowners in the neighborhood restore and maintain their properties. Begun in 2013, the event was forced to take a three-year hiatus due to COVID and other obstacles before finally being permanently canceled.
For a movie that only came in 12th for box office receipts upon its initial theatrical release, that’s a decent legacy. A consistent name on yearly lists of best holiday movies, it also inspired a Broadway musical. In addition to the giant leg lamps showing up as yard decorations, there have been reports of a Sanford man who made a miniature replica of the home.
Earlier this month, a writer for the Sarasota Observer even created “A Foodie Guide to ‘A Christmas Story,'” highlighting local restaurants and shops with dishes or items that reflect various scenes from the movie. Kilwin’s fudge, anyone?
So, if you’re in the Cleveland area this holiday, you might want to stop by. The house from “A Christmas Story” is still going strong and was one of two Cleveland attractions named to the 10 Best Holiday Historic Home Tours in the region.
But if that’s not your cup of tea, there’s always the Chicago home decorated in homage to Taylor Swift.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville man sells ‘A Christmas Story’ house after 20 years