history and historians - the local kind

Had a lovely walk around Madoc of an evening recently, with a friend who shares my love of old structures. We had a wander around the local churchyard, looking for the gaol, and surprised a sweet limestone Ontario Gothic cottage behind the church, surrounded by old-fashioned flowerbeds, demure behind a stone wall - the Manse, my friend presumed. Further along, a Victorian storefront housed a tearoom that invites one back both to admire the brick and rubble building with its unchanged storefront, and the collections it shelters.

As we wandered further along the street, ambling back and forth across the not-busy-at-all street to take photos, and just generally peer at people's gable treatments and gardens and porches, we began a debate about this building. I suggested municipal hall, my colleague argued on the side of a school building.

No argument was ever so pleasantly resolved as this one, when the door opened and a lovely British accent chirped 'wouldn't you like to come inside to see it'? So we did - had a grand tour of this court-house turned home/studio with its old beaded pine walls, and new painted murals. And along with the tour, we enjoyed our time with Brenda, an artist, teacher, writer, local historian, and intrepid community project volunteer . A lovely chat with a lovely lady, thanks to her noticing the two of us snooping and snapping photos, and taking the chance to invite us in.
Just proves that a building may be appealing from the outside - note the deft brick detailing - but the heart and soul of the inhabitant is what makes it special indeed.