I’ve always had a soft spot for older homes. I grew up in one, and live in an even older one today.
There is something special about them in the wintertime, too, all hunkered down with wisps of smoke rising out of brick chimneys and snow-dusted clapboards standing guard against the bitter cold. It is a romantic vision, I know. Sigh…
Well, temps dipped to minus-11 degrees over in Rindge recently, and as someone who dwells in a historic home (see: old house), I think it’s time to put all the romance aside and be honest about what’s up. Mice! Frozen pipes! Drafty floors! Morning frost on windowpanes! Doors that don’t close properly! What was I thinking? Who in their right mind would sign up for this racket? What’s the appeal?
I needed to hash this out, so I reached out to a few fellow Rindge “old-home dwellers.” I started with my neighbor, Mary-Lu’ Esposito. Mary-Lu’ raised her family in her historic home, which was originally built in 1768, and today enjoys having her granddaughters visit. Her home has served as many important settings, including the town bottle dump and grist mill, and the local gin mill during Prohibition. I asked Mary-Lu’ “Why do we love these old houses?” after expressing my frustration with frosted window panes and frozen dishwasher pipes on cold winter mornings.
It’s the stories and uniqueness that keep Mary-Lu’s fondness for her home alive and well – “I love to hear from family members of past owners – children who are grown and share their memories of this house.” It’s also the forgotten treasures, she tells me, having once found an antique comb and hand mirror between the floorboards.
My friends Jack and Molly Ludlam were young house-buyers when they found their older home, an early 20th-century house near historic Rindge Common. In fact, their house was once the town iffices and home to the town clerk. With a solid frame, the home’s interior needed serious attention, so for them a lot of the joy has been in making it their own through hard work.
“We wanted to try and bring the house back to what it used to be” Jack says of renovations and changes they’ve made, which also include safety and energy upgrades. For Molly, the home’s character and the memories of her family growing there are what make it so special.
As for me, I think I feel a lot of what Mary-Lu’, Jack and Molly feel – an appreciation for the stories of the past and the making of new stories to add to our home’s record. And of course, any home, young or old, filled with love and family is certainly special. Though, I could do without the mice…
Join the Rindge Conservation Commission as they host a timber harvest tour of the Stearns-Lamont property off Middle Winchendon Road in Rindge.
The tour, which runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 12, will be led by forester Gabe Roxby of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. This free experience includes a hike through the Stearns-Lamont Forest, where attendees will learn about the property’s history and about the process and importance of timber harvesting.
To learn more and register, visit forestsociety.org/event/timber-harvest-tour-stearns-lamont-forest.
To share your stories, contact me at rindgecommcorr@yahoo.com.