Parts of my grandparents house in upstate New York were built more than 194 years ago in 1818. While the current house could be mistaken for a simple farm house, careful observation reveals that the original house was constructed with much craftsmanship. The original house did not have plumbing or even electricity but presentation would have been important to the original owners.
The original front entrance has an elegantly crafted door. To the left of the entrance was the parlor room where guests would have been entertained (my grandparents converted it to a bedroom). The parlor has ornate window and door trim that are not found in any other part of the original house. It is not hard to picture an elegant room displaying the family's best furniture. This would have been the most formal and important room in the house.
Growing up in Alaska I was not exposed to a lot of residential architecture as there are very few old houses, but having lived in Seattle for a few years I have come to appreciate houses crafted with more than function in mind. I'm not saying I would like to own a 19th century or Victorian-era home but I can appreciate their beauty in ways I did not previously.
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| Inserting the storm windows in an upstairs room |
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| Trim around the parlor door with the original entrance in the background |
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| The front of the house (the parlor is on the left, the upper dormers were added in the 1940's) |
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