Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
Our c. 1860 House -
Overview & Plan
Home Page - News & Info - Family - Vacations - Bios - House - Music & Studio - Science - Solar Systems - Pseudo Science - Site Map
Home Page - News & Info - Family - Vacations - Bios - House - Music & Studio - Science - Solar Systems - Pseudo Science - Site Map
A Brief History
The house was built around 1860 or 1870, we are still researching the exact date. The interior walls were lath and plaster, and, while most have survived, some is in very poor condition; see the picture below for an example. The style is known as a center hall country colonial, which means that it lacks a lot of the "ginger bread" trim often applied to more grand colonial houses of the time. One of the most notable interior features is the quality of the oak floors downstairs. These comprise oak strips to the main parts of the floors, with elaborate hardwood inlays to the periphery.
Major alterations were made in the years around the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The main staircase seems to have been completely rebuilt as a triple return to create additional space upstairs to accommodate a large, for the time, bathroom. This also involved repositioning a window. There appears to have been a second staircase to the cellar from the entrance lobby, and this was removed at this time, so we access the cellar using the stairs down from the kitchen.
Major alterations were made in the years around the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The main staircase seems to have been completely rebuilt as a triple return to create additional space upstairs to accommodate a large, for the time, bathroom. This also involved repositioning a window. There appears to have been a second staircase to the cellar from the entrance lobby, and this was removed at this time, so we access the cellar using the stairs down from the kitchen.
An example of the poor condition of some of the plaster work. This was in my study. The plaster looses its "key" into the lathes behind, bulges out and cracks.
A complete steam central heating system was installed, probably at the end of the 19th century, including some very beautiful cast iron radiators. We have found evidence that there were a number of Parlor Stoves in the house before this. We also have open fireplaces in the Living room and Drawing room. Thankfully, the furnace is up to date although heating the place uses humungous quantities of heating oil.
During the period from the 1930s or '40s until at least the 1960s, the house was, at times, used as a boarding house. Some internal structural changes were made to the main upstairs bedrooms to accommodate facilities between each pair of bedrooms, and a sink in each bedroom. Most of the fixtures had been removed before we moved in, and we have converted the old loos (toilets) into closets; you cannot have too many closets! We have removed the fixtures that did remain, and plan to sell them, as most are period; except the loos which we are not allowed to sell.
We have had visits from previous owners of the house as well as people who stayed when it was a boarding house, from whom we got some, but not a lot, of information. During the 10 years or more before we bought it, the house was used as a weekend home, and it is obvious that the owners did very little maintenance. Much of what was done was of very poor quality, leaving us to re-do it. Very frustrating, really. Some idiot effected restoration on the porch, for example, but used untreated wood in contact with the ground, so it just rotted away and I am having to replace it all. We aolso found where glass had been replaced in a window using glue instead of putty. Amazing, really.
During the period from the 1930s or '40s until at least the 1960s, the house was, at times, used as a boarding house. Some internal structural changes were made to the main upstairs bedrooms to accommodate facilities between each pair of bedrooms, and a sink in each bedroom. Most of the fixtures had been removed before we moved in, and we have converted the old loos (toilets) into closets; you cannot have too many closets! We have removed the fixtures that did remain, and plan to sell them, as most are period; except the loos which we are not allowed to sell.
We have had visits from previous owners of the house as well as people who stayed when it was a boarding house, from whom we got some, but not a lot, of information. During the 10 years or more before we bought it, the house was used as a weekend home, and it is obvious that the owners did very little maintenance. Much of what was done was of very poor quality, leaving us to re-do it. Very frustrating, really. Some idiot effected restoration on the porch, for example, but used untreated wood in contact with the ground, so it just rotted away and I am having to replace it all. We aolso found where glass had been replaced in a window using glue instead of putty. Amazing, really.
