Friday, December 21, 2012

Cast Iron Sinks, Doors, Reproduction Furniture, etc.

     I get asked all the time where can a person find old doors, sinks, etc. for home restoration projects.  My brother Kerras is a multi-talented individual in that he's a folk artist; furniture builder and collector of antiques, etc.!  
     At any given time he has about 300 old doors for sale; cast iron sinks and tubs along with alot of antiques.  Be sure to visit his website:  www.birchgate.ca/kerras; http://www.birchgate.ca/kerras/antiques.html
     Below is a project where one of his cast iron sinks and doors were incorporated into a house renovation.
     Below:  Here are some of his doors.  I never knew there could be so many styles of doors until I saw them in this collection.
Below: Kerras' collection of cast iron sinks.
     Kerras also builds reproduction furniture such as those shown here below.

3 Ole King Square, Charlottetown

     I lived at 3 Ole King Square for 5 years in the late 1980's.   This old 3-storey, flat roof house was divided in to six apartments sometime in the mid-twentieth century.  My apartment was on main floor, on the corner of  Old King Square and Hillsborough Street.  
     I have never known, or could ever find out, who owned this large old house. 
     Here are a few photos of my photos of 3 Ole King Square taken in December 1988.  
Below: the front of 3 Ole King Square, facing south onto King Square Park.
 Below:  the Parlour had impressive woodwork, trim and panel windows.
 Below: The Parlour had a marble, coal-burning fireplace.
 Below:  The Kitchen cabinetry was built around the large cast iron sink
     According to the City of Charlottetown's website and their page about this house - it's listed as being built prior to 1878 as it appears in this 1878 Panoramic view below.  See: http://www.city.charlottetown.pe.ca/searchaproperty.php?propid=1970

Above:  Panoramic View of Charlottetown, 1878.
cf. http://www.gov.pe.ca/hpo/app.php?nav=details&p=2974

Above: 3 Ole King Squre is on the far left. cf. 1880 Meachams Atlas.
cf. http://www.gov.pe.ca/hpo/IMG/ORIGINAL/19f7aa3dBeerSonsKingSquare.jpg

Here are a few other houses on Ole King Square.
19 Ole King Square
Above: 19 Ole King Square
cf.  http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5228&pid=15566&h=Ole,King,Square%20(5)
21 Ole King Square
Above: 21 Ole King Square
cf. http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/image-image.aspx?id=5229#i2
27 Ole King Square
Above: 27 Ole King Square
cf. http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5230&pid=15568&h=Ole,King,Square%20(5)

Monday, December 17, 2012

Mount Herbert Protestant Orphanage

     This old, long since demolished, building was in the news this week in a sad story about abuse during its days as the Mount Herbert Protestant Orphanage.  I decided to make a link to this story and show the building referred to.  The orphanage was established in 1907 and in 1922 moved to this new impressive brick structure on a large treed lots in the rural community of Mount Herbert, east of Stratford, near the Hillsborough River. 
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2012-12-14/article-3140311/Residents-of-PEI-orphanage-share-486400-settlement/1
      The Orphanage was designed and built in 1920-21 by well-known Charlottetown Architect Edward Stirling (Bone) Blanchard (1886-1953).  See website for more information about him: http://www.gov.pe.ca/hpo/index.php3?number=1028089&lang=E
      Below is an early image of the orphanage - both images here cf. the Guardian Newspaper article.
     The orphanage closed in 1975 and demolished in 1998 to make way for a new Provincial Addictions Treatment Centre.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Christmas 1973 Thompson House, Sherbrooke

     The following is the cover of the Prince Edward Island "Senior's Scene" December 1992: Heritage '92 magazine.
      "The photo on the cover of this issue is a reflection of the whole concept of Heritage '92.  The photo is of Mrs. John Thomson's home in Sherbrooke, Prince Edward Island taken on the eve of the Centennial of the province joining Canada in 1873.  The home is one hundred and twenty-five years old and depicts the actual life style of Mrs. Thomson.  Heritage '92 is a project that was conceived by Wendell Ellis of Studio Ten, Island Cablevision, Ltd's. Community Channel, to preserve the living heritage of our Island seniors..."  cf. Page 1 Dec/92 issue.
    The above parlour photo was taken in the house of Lulu Thomson which was originally the home of Archibald and Abigail (Jeffery) Burns in Sherbrooke, Prince Edward Island - they died in 1901 and 1913.  
     The following area photos I took of the abandoned House in May 2000.
      Below:  I would say the house was built in two different times as for the unusual combination of architectural styles.  The above and below photo is of the west side.  For some reason I don't have the south elevation which has the main entry.  The right side of the house would have been the later addition - possibly turn of the twentieth-century.
Below: the north/rear side of the house.
     Below:  a photo page of the Burns-Thomson family from, "The Jeffery Family of the Isle of Wight and Prince Edward Island" by Betty Jeffery and Carter Jeffery, 1998.