The floors on the lower level of the house were replaced long before we bought it. However, the bedroom on the second level still had the old wide plank flooring!
One day, while gardening, an elderly couple was driving by very slowly...first up the mountain's gravel road, then back down again...then up and then down. Finally, when they were on their way down, I asked if I could help them with something. The elderly gentleman driving pointed to the "Mrs" in the passenger seat and said, "she was born here". I invited them in. They couldn't believe how the original two story cabin had been expanded! I told them that the dining area, kitchen, first bathroom were added on in the 40's, along with the creation of the mudroom (scroll down) which simply took the place of the backdoor.
That 1998 addition also includes a 2 car garage, a spare bedroom, an office and a family room.
Speaking of the family room, here it is. The double doors at the far end take you out onto the deck. The doorway on the left takes you out to the small porch which has become Moon and Copper's. I loved this house and felt blessed to be here...:)
This was the spare bedroom on the first floor, part of the addition put on in 1998. I put my mother's mahogany bedroom set in this room and I treasure it. It is the only thing I have of my mother's. The stone wall is the back of the river rock fireplace located in the living room! Cool, huh? And, as you can see, the room is spacious enough to have a small table so if guests choose to have their coffee in their room, they can.
you either have to have really long legs or use the little step stool to get in and out. The mattress is so high that when you swing your legs over the side of the bed, you get a running start across the floor...LOL!
As you see, the 2nd story still had the wide plank flooring which I loved. This area had so much character and it made a great sitting room when you want to curl up on the loveseat to read or to address cards at the desk and gaze out the window when the snow is falling and daydream!
On our 20 acres, we have 3 creeks that are fed by mountain springs. Our house was gravity fed by mountain springs that went into a holding tank, which was then purified until last year when we put in a well. So, as you can see and imagine, this place has so much history that one of my things on my bucket list is to research it with the help of the Historical Society. But, that's another story. A story told to us by people who used to live here. He was in his eighties this year (2011) and lived here as a boy.
He spoke of:
moonshine and hillsides planted with corn;
cows that grazed the mountainsides;
a bench located near the front creek where the women were courted as the smell of wild climbing roses surrounded them;
the first bathroom added on in the mid forties;
the neighbors;
the names etched on the living room wall;
and of working the land.
Then, much to our surprise, one Saturday (as the For Sale sats in front of the Home in the Hollow) four gentleman stopped to visit. They were from Massachusetts...a Bluegrass Band called Acoustic Blue . Larry had bought this house in 1991 and lived here for one year before returning to Massachusetts. When he sold the house to Bill (who had the addition put on after he and his wife discovered they were expecting twins) he sold it "furniture and all." Now when we moved in, we found a dresser in the attic. It belonged to Larry!
Larry's Dresser 1991 |
As we make our plans to return to Connecticut, the Home in the Hollow will live on, continuing to evolve, just as it as for over one hundred and fifty years.
Although we were just a small part of it's life, we loved it. It was good to us.
We thank God for the chance to have had it in our lives.
On June 26th, 2012, we sold the Home in the Hollow...
but the legacy lives on!
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Spring |
Fall |
Winter |
Summer |
Our Barn |
Home in the Hollow |
The months before our move, each time I sat on the front porch, words danced through my head...words and sentiments from the heart.
Home in the Hollow
There's a Home in the Hollow at the base of a hill
Down in the Blueridge it's standin' there still
"Twas built long ago from logs made by hand
If they only knew then how long it would stand.
The walls filled with memories over the years
Some filled with laughter and some filled with tears
It's been home to many who have come and gone
For those that have lived there, the memories live on.
It began in a cabin two stories high
They planted their corn so it'd grow near by
While cattle grazed freely, they built them a still
It's busted up pieces still there on the hill.
The Home in the Hollow will give you some rest
It's where you meet Nature and life at it's best
The house was to many...a treasured home
The Home in the Hollow will always live on.
If you're passing by...out that way some day
Go find it...for sure, it'll show you the way
Good country livin' and some hard work too
Surrounded by Nature that's all good for you!