Arnold Smith and I visited this site first in 1993 and observed the remains of this central chimney style house - it had all fallen down around the island sandstone fireplace leaving it as if a monument to its past. The house was built in 1790 by Angus Owen MacDonald. We returned ten years later in the spring of 2003 and took these photos - the site was much as it was ten years earlier. The central chimney with double fireplaces measures about 8' square with the largest fireplace opening into the kitchen. The mortar was mostly all washed away being exposed to the elements for so many years - the original mortar would have been made of brick clay, straw and mussel shells.
It wasn't built by Angus Owen MacDonald, The builder is unknown, Angus Owen lived there from about 1870 to 1961. It was my great great grandfather's house one of three almost identically built that I knew of which belonged to great great grandfather's of mine. One is still standing less than a mile from this site in perfect condition with the chimney's restored by Ray MacCormack and me. This was a common style of house on this road and would have been built in the late 1790's to early 1800's before stoves were introduced to houses.
ReplyDeleteWhere is this chimney? Fran
ReplyDeleteI know where it is now. The one standing is the one that I always wanted to know about - sweet little house. Never could find out age - thank you for the added information. Our ancestors lived in these little houses - and I love seeing them. Fran
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