Restoring Our Old Farmstead
Our old farm hasn't been an actual farm since 1969. That's when the farmer who lived here from 1928-1969, old Henry, passed away. His children sold the farm to a Mr. Gardfield. Henry kept the entire farm neat and well-maintained. I've counted over 25 fruit trees in the old photos. Well-kept kitchen gardens, berry bushes, neatly trimmed hedges, and a house with beautiful carvings. It was never quite the same here after Henry died. Mr. Gardfield sold off the 170 acres of fields and pastureland that belonged to the farm, including the patch of land where the old barn, chicken coop, and outhouse stood. Mr. Gardfield also modernized our house, which has brought with it many odd solutions that we still haven't removed, although much has been taken away as we've renovated.
After Mr. Gardfield sold the house in 1998, several other owners have lived here. They have also left their mark on both the house and the plot, for better or for worse. Little has been done to preserve the soul of the house, and buildings have been erected on the plot that have been doomed to rot away. Buildings without foundations, some of which have been built around large tree trunks (and as we know, trees are living beings that grow, bringing movement with them), and conservatories that are built directly on the ground. And as we know, wood lying directly on the ground rots as well. This has led to a lot of unnecessary work for us. Now we're gradually going to start cutting down much of the overgrown vegetation and tearing down one of the three associated buildings that shouldn't stand much longer than this season. At the same time, we will finish painting the house walls and windows. Last year we built a new entrance porch, and we've spent a whole three years insulating and re-cladding the entire house. It's hard to believe that when we moved in, before we had children, we barely had heat in the house unless we lit two stoves simultaneously. It feels like ages ago.
This old shed.. Or what you want to call it. It's not a gazebo, and it’s hardly a building. It’s not really old either. It was built between 2007 and 2010. Maybe even later. And it suerly wasn’t built to last. Right now it’s falling apart in every end, at the top and the bottom. Tearing it down has been at out priority list for several years, but we had to prioritize the most crucial renovations in out house. After this harsh winter, and the enormous amounts of snow, it really got a hit. After we’ve cleaned up the cut down vegetation, this will be the next project. Tearing this building down, give the old jacuzzi some love, and perhaps buy a pavilion. We’ll see. But I will document the journey, because it’s so much fun to look back at. But restoring this old homestead of ours, doesn’t mean that I want to build a lot of new stuff, but to honour the place as it deserves. And I truly believe that this place deserve that we take care of the house AND the land it stands on.
