Ancestral Roofs

"In Praise of Older Buildings"

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Bright spot

Still in Moira.

I turned off Moira Road onto Carson Road (which led to a brush with Fuller a few clicks on) the better to park and have a good look at the 1854 Wesleyan church, now the community centre.

As I was about to turn into the parking lot, something drew my attention. Like the bright flash of an oriole in the forest canopy, this eye-catching place, well, caught my eye.



I first noticed the shadows cast by impressive cornice mouldings above doors and windows on the neat symmetrical front of this clapboard house. Although the house is well-screened with bushes (it would be invisible in summer) I saw enough to make me fall in love.  

Pilasters with capitals flanked the blind panelled sidelights, and the oversized Regency windows with their panelled dado below. Deep roof cornices lead to returning eaves on the side elevation. Then an Italianate front door.

And all picked out in wonderful cream and gold, with a dusky blue highlights and roof.

The proportions, and the wide roof cornice lead me to think it's an early house. The wealth of detail on the front, with some vernacular treatment, have me puzzled. The house actually makes me think of some of the richly moulded frame houses of Lunenburg or Mahone Bay.

I checked the Belden's 1878 atlas. There's a D. Vanderwater listed at Concession III Lot 13; I think this house may lie on part of that lot. The Ketcheson's were among the first settlers in the area. Could well be a very early house. Hope someone at Moira's Facebook sees this query and puts me out of my misery!

4 comments:

  1. I grew up in this house, this was my home for 24 years. I really miss this house

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  2. Hi Ancestral Roots :-)
    My Husband and I bought this house in January of 2014, and if you would like to view it, please get in touch, and we will set something up . We also would be interested in learning more of the history, then we have so far ! :-) Veronica & John Postma 613 242 1699

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  3. Janet & Chris HayesOctober 2, 2015 at 7:16 PM

    House was built in 1834 we lived there for 15 years and stripped most of the woodwork on the front down before painting it those bright colours. Did a fair amount of restoration on the inside. It was baby blue when we moved in!!

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  4. Me too! I was raised in this house!!! So many memories!!

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