Fun Monday # 46
Kitten has given us and interesting assignment this week she wants.......
'to hear about the story behind your home and the road you live on. It doesn't have to be historical, maybe just something that stands out to you. It would be nice to have pictures to go with your little story. I also would like to know who has the oldest house. Whoever has the oldest house will get a little Christmas treat from little ole me'.
My House is Victorian and was built in 1851.
I have written about it before so I will not mind if you pass on by. I think in it's heyday it would have been quite a substantial home for a wealthy family. When it was built it would have been surrounded by fields and in a pleasant position. The house once had a huge garden and orchard and a stable on the back. My neighbour can remember the people who lived here before us actually keeping a horse in the orchard. The person we bought the house from had used it to run a 'bed and breakfast' guest house and it was in very poor condition. The stable had been converted into basic accommodation. They had, together with neighboring houses, also sold off all the land behind for building. The side of this house being used as the access road to the new housing development that was in the process of being built when we moved here in 1986.
Another interesting fact that we have been told about this house is that during the second world war the cellars (there are five rooms down there) were used for the A.R.P(Air Raid Precaution) Wardens. We did actually find some posters and photos in the cellar so we think it was probably true.
The top photo was taken from a neighbour's house possibly in the 60's or 70's. You can see that the house has a nice entrance from the road and abut's next door. Now compare it with the second photo taken by Embee this weekend from the same neighbour's garden. I know which I prefer!
This is the aeriel view so you can see just how long the original garden was if you follow the line of the houses down from us on the corner to the bottom garden.
This was originally the stables. The entrance to the back of the house is now in the side road and the original ornamental stones you see in the first photo have been used for the pillars supporting the gates.
In our cellar we still have the original hay basket as you can see from this last photo.
The house originally had its water supply from a well which is no longer accessible as it is under the oil tank.
If anyone is still reading I think I have bored you enough so I will stop here!
Archives:
December 17th 2006: Catching Up
Labels: Fun Monday, house
posted by ChrisB @ 8:34 am
41 comments
41 Comments:
I was so not bored. Thanks for sharing. I love houses with history - I don't own one, but I love houses with history! Thanks for sharing.
bored??? are you kidding. A fabulous review and some new info, too.
I'm going to come back and take a second look at the above post too. I DID read it. Just have to go to work.
sandy how kind of you, I guess you are like me, I'm so interested in anything historical.
pamela thank you for coming back, it is a very worth while charity.
I accidently came across your blog an in an effort to discover myself I thought your question of the road and your home was a fascinating way to start. I will keep it brief - I grew up on a dirt road in the Midwest United States. I lived next to a grain elevator and what used to be a hotel in the 1800's - my home however was built in the early 1930's - with asbestos siding and a dirt basement full of salamanders. We entertained our selves in the country and we weren't allowed to watch much televsion. We road our bikes til the wheels fell of and played in the grove of fallen trees. It was a wonderful, magical place that I truly wish my kids could experience. I am now a mom living in a regular but pretty home in the suburbs. Not much room for imagination.
Thank you for that question - it really helped me find a direction. I believe I was suppose to stumble onto your site. Bless you!
Not boring at all, I think it's fascinating. I love the way you showed how the neighborhood has changed. Very cool.
i love the hay basket. and i BET you win the oldest house award, neat.
Your house has fascinating history for sure. I so love visiting England just for that reason. It seems there is something historical and beautiful architecture around every corner..
Not boring...facinating! Houses with history are getting rarer and rarer. Like mine...it's 30 years old, but it's still in a subdivision and hasn't really developed a personatility of it's own yet...
A Slice of Life
Bored, not in the least!! I enjoyed reading about the history behind your house. The first photo is my favorite too, very lovely winter scene.
I'll be back too, to read your post later on today.
Christine@ AreWeThereYetMom
Great history, I love it!
I also really love that blue, so bright and cheery.
Lisa
Thanks for the tour.
I think this post was great. I love hearing about old homes. Around here - a home built in 1850 would be called a "historic home" and put on a register.
Dreaming What Ifs...
How cool! I think you're going to win with the oldest home - you have a lot of history in your home, too.
Very COOL!!!!!!!
What an interesting history. Thanks for sharing it with us!
wow. that's ALL cool. not boring. i'd look at more pictures, for sure. how fascinating. and you win the prize for oldest house, for sure.
that hay basket is way cool.
I wasn't bored in the slightest, it was fascinating. One thing that I've never been able to figure out from the aerial satellite photos though, is if the house is a duplex now, or do you have all of it (it seems pretty big).
mynameismom thank you for dropping by I hope you'll visit again :)
kaycie I'm not too sure I go for all the changes~ I find I sound more like my mother everyday!
lil mouse it is pretty old so we will have to wait and see!
ellen b. history and old buildings is one thing you'll find plenty of here!
susan I do believe houses develop I know we felt this was a friendly family house when we were viewing it.
christine I love that photo as well I was so pleased when the neighbour gave it to us a few years back.
lisa that was not really the colour blue I wanted but once bought we had to use it and I'm used to it now. The previous colour was a deep red.
AC you're welcome :)
karmyn over here Victorian is really not out of the ordinary and there are so many older types of architecture going way back!
tiggerlane that would be nice but as I've explained it's not really that old for this country.
sauntering soul and debs glad you enjoyed my little bit of history!
laurie I hope whoever buys the house from us will keep the hay basket as I feel it belongs.
WT you would see from the front the house is semi-detached and I believe was built that way as they are identical. The house next door is now a bed and breakfast but was just a private home when we moved in. So from on the satellite photo we really only the house on the corner (if that makes sense)! All the Victorian properties are quite large. One large bedroom in this house has been converted into two smaller rooms and a passage. We have converted a pantry into a downstairs cloakroom. I think through all the FM's and other posts you have seen pretty much all the downstairs of the house ( including some of the messy cellars!).
Lovely house.
Your house is still beautiful, but oh it makes me weep for what has happened to its surroundings! It's a nice neighborhood, sure, but I like a little more space between me and the neighbors. I pray that our neighbors either never sell their land or that they sell it when we can afford to buy it. I'd hate to see a housing development pop up in the pasture across the road.
That was fabulous. I want more! I love old houses with a history. It's especially nice that you have learned so much about the history.
Wonderful post Chris, I (and everyone else) thoroughly enjoyed the tour and history of your little slice of heaven.
BTW, the OLD photo wins hands down, the price of progress.
That is so cool. I love historical houses, and you definitely have one out of a story book with it's history. Very cool.
You did a fantastic job! I have 3-4 more houses to check, but so far you are the oldest. I'll put up the winning post in a bit or 1st thing in morning.
Beautiful! Just beautiful!
You're lucky - cos if it was still the way it used to be I may never ever have moved out ;)
Yes that makes perfect sense and it's pretty much how I imagined it. Looking at the satellite photo that would be one huge house if it wasn't a semi (given that each is already significantly bigger than the surrounding houses). You'd never be able to keep it clean or afford the heating bills.
Not boring at all. Beautiful and interesting view. 1851 is a long time ago. You might have the oldest for this Fun Monday. :D
Oh NO that was rather interesting! I just love the first photo before development took over. Homes should never be so sandwiched together like that. Just a lovely post!
That's a lovely house Chris! It's amazing how areas change over the years isn't it?
You haven't bored me at all ! you made me homesick !! My son has such a Victorian house from beginning 19OO in London and I love it ! I love these old english houses in general. Now it is rented because he works in Amsterdam since already 5 years ! I wish they would send him back working in London again !
Most interesting!!!!
Congratulations on the FM 'oldest home award' I'm totally impressed.
You got me beat, and rightly so. ;) Your home is beautiful, thanks for sharing!
that is amazing!! I wonder if you had that oldest house-- I'll go check.
I really had no idea that your house had that much history!!
You bought it new then? lol.
*I'm off*
john is the funniest
So not bored!! I love the history of your house!! I absolutely love older homes.
john you are right to be off if I lived closer I'd tamper with your brakes if I could catch you!!
Hey congrats on having the oldest house :D And it looks amazing. I bet you have huge rooms and high ceilings and fab fireplaces too. Gorgeous. :D
Hahaha nice one John!!!
CHris, somehow I missed seeing this post. :( It's so neat that you have so much history right there and I love that you still have the thing for hay in your basement!
Not boring at all! Your house has a lot of history!
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