Ancestral Roofs

"In Praise of Older Buildings"

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Adopt-a-home

David Gibson house, 1835-40
Had a nice chat about this house this afternoon. It's fun when you discover someone who knows exactly where a favourite house is, and has a good sense of its story and its possibilities.

This worthy house is for sale. It needs someone who really understands its value, and has the skills and the resources to restore it properly. I expect it will need a lot of work. It needs its wonderful trellis verandah restored. According to Stokes and Cruikshank in the Settler's Dream, the interior woodwork is of the finest quality, with a mantel rivalling those of prestigious houses like Tara Hall. I so hope that interior detail remains.

This house has a feature which makes it rare among the relatively rare stone homes in PEC. It sits on a jog in the road, its local limestone presence nestling up to a rare Canadian shield inlier, a pink rock bluff rising up above it.

I am so hopeful that this home will find a good home, with someone who knows its worth. I keep driving by...

3 comments:

  1. Just wait 'til I check my lottery ticket, and then let the restoration begin. You can be my historical watchdog.

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  2. For this house (and this rich friend) I'd even rip up linoleum and sand woodwork!

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  3. this has always been my dream house since I was little I hope it falls into the right hands

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