Ancestral Roofs

"In Praise of Older Buildings"

Friday, July 15, 2011

it's all somebody's history



Instead of a having a screensaver, I set my computer to cycle through my photo files. Every so often, after a period of inactivity on the keyboard, I am treated to a mini slide-show of my photos. Occasionally I have a "wow did I take that?" moment when I see something quite good. More often I am reminded of photos taken and not revisited, images I wouldn't necessarily go looking for.

The photo on the left popped up the other day - not a great photo, but something to think about. I took this, and several other houses, in an old area west of the Moira River in Belleville. This house is old, it's dilapidated, it's not beautiful. But there is something about its proportions that I like. And someone's taking care of it - well, they put vinyl siding on the front, anyway.

It's just a reminder to me - this humble house has many memories (I hope they're good ones). It sheltered generations of working folks, shared their hopes and aspirations for a better life. It may not be an Old East Hill beauty, and its story and its family's story are likely not recorded... but it's still somebody's history.

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