Home Is Where We Make It

As Helen and I zip up and down country roads looking for our latest trail head, we admire the many beautiful old houses we pass along the way.  We fantasize about winning the lottery, and what type of home would appeal to us if price was no object.

Recently, we noticed the spire of an old church on the horizon and as we got closer,  we found that it was under renovation.  The heavy equipment in the front yard was a dead giveaway.

That wonderful old building deserved a closer look, and so on our return trip home, I pulled off to the side.

Flying is Canada’s 1st official flag* – the Canadian Red Ensign from 1924.  The crest on the flag was to represent the four founding nations of our country … the lions of England, the Royal Scottish Lion, the harp of Ireland, and the Lys of France.  At the bottom of the crest is a sprig of green maple leafs – later changed to red in the 1950s.  The red maple leaf would become the enduring Canadian symbol on our flag, redesigned in 1965.  I love the stripped tree trunk used as a flag post, adding to the heritage look of this building.

Upon closer inspection, the small dog on the front step should have been our clue that this was in fact a residence and once again, we found ourselves trespassing on private property.

The dog’s barking attracted the attention of the owner who was working in the backyard, but after we explained why we had stopped, he was so gracious in talking to us about his unique home and its history.

Formerly St Andrew’s Presbyterian, the church was built in 1845.  Over 120 years later, the congregation was merged with one in a nearby town, and the building was subsequently sold in 1986.

The interior of the old church was eventually renovated as a residence in what we were told is an open concept home.

Although Helen and I both had our fingers crossed that he would offer a tour of the inside, it didn’t happen … in spite of our many questions and broad hints.  Quite frankly, I think he was torn between wanting to get back to work before the rains started, and continuing to talk about the building, which was obviously his pride and joy.

The current owner is in the process of restoring the exterior of the building using old photographs he obtained of the church.  The windows are original, as is the front door.

A replica of these doors is being built and will eventually replace these badly weathered originals, which will then will be moved to the inside front foyer.

Although I was itching to see the interior of the former bell tower, the best I could get was a peek at some photos he had on his phone.  It is completely unfinished bare wood beams on the inside.

To round out my attraction to this former church, is a freestone wall built on the corner of the property.  It turns out that the current owner had it built, but it looks like it’s been there forever.

I half expected to find a small ancient graveyard on the other side.  There wasn’t.

As we continued on our journey home, Helen reminded me of its fatal flaw as a fantasy dream home …. it lacks the requisite wraparound verandah to spend idle summer days.

I guess I will just need to keep looking.

*************************************************************************************

This post was inspired by Thursday Doors – a weekly photo feature hosted by Norm Frampton at Norm 2.0.

* Thanks to Helen for immediately identifying the flag that was flying.  It made it significantly easier for me to trace some of its history.