We called it "The Mansion" - a big rambling house, c. 1900, that belonged to the prosperous owner of a dairy farm and company. In the late 1990's, when my sister rented a caretaker's cottage on the property, the mansion had not been lived in for some time and had fallen into sad disrepair. Raccoons and other scurrying varmints occupied the basement where a couple of bowling lanes were rumored to have been - we never ventured into the dank darkness to discover the truth. We did, however investigate the rest of the home, even up into what we speculated were small servant's bedrooms under the eaves in the second story. Beautiful woodwork abounded in all of the large rooms, stained glass, multiple french doors and a huge stone fireplace adorned one room that spanned the back of the house and a long narrow conservatory decorated with Italian tiles flanked the south wall. These details indicated the taste and refinement of the original owner and it was heartbreaking to see the rotting shambles it had become. In 2014, when the mansion was demolished for an upscale housing development, thieves had already purloined any architectural details that were worth recycling. However, in a trash heap destined for a dumpster, I salvaged a couple of window frames - weathered, glassless and covered with charming chippy paint (which was probably not lead-free!).
After removing hooks and eyes, and a slight sanding to remove flaking pieces, I painted this frame with coat of varnish to contain any further paint chips from falling onto the floor and into pet territory. It perfectly frames a favorite canvas portrait of my beloved grandchildren (who are much more grown up now!) I am pleased that I have a reminder of the mansion and of life in another era.
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