Farm Stay

After much behind the scenes research and work, I'm finally able to announce the opening of our farm stay - The Old House at White Flint Farm! This project has been in the works for a couple of years. I've been slowly putting the pieces together and it has finally all come together. I still have a few more tweaks to make but now I know that will always be the case. Since we've had lots of family and friends stay in the house, I now realize that it's a comfortable, peaceful environment that will be appreciated by anyone staying there. Here are a few photos (most were taken by Bill):

Old photo of the house

What the house looked like when we purchased it and then right after the renovations

Back side of the house

Entry hall

Parlor

Another shot of the parlor - the photo is of the original residents, Bill's great, great grandparents

Dining room

Queen bedroom

Twin bedroom

Kitchen

This has been a project many years in the making. Our original plan was to demolish the house. As you can see from the photo of when we purchased it, the house seemed beyond redemption. However, after seeing a similar house after its restoration, we decided to look into saving what has always been called "the old house." 

We had an engineering company tell us the foundation was solid, then we had the front balcony and porch rebuilt before further damage was done. Next, we replaced the windows, then we painted the exterior. Then it was time to do the interior, which included replacing all the horsehair plaster, rewiring, and adding the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room. 

As you can see, we tried to stick with the spirit of the Victorian era when it came to decorating and furnishing. A few pieces are original to the house. During the years when the house set unoccupied, vandals broke in and stole furniture. Fortunately, the old sofa was so hideous (I think things were living in it) and heavy, that it remained in the house. A few years ago, I took it to an upholsterer and I almost don't recognize it today.

I'm excited about our new venture (and adventure).  We'll be meeting new people and have the opportunity to share our farm and our values. It's yet another unexpected chapter in our lives.  Anyone interested in the farm stay can go to our farm website (www.whiteflintfarm.com) for details.