Today, we had a visit from one of the leading experts in Dutch vernacular architecture, John R. Stevens author of Dutch Vernacular Architecture in North America 1640-1830. It was a fascinating voyage of discovery and new mysteries. Mr Stevens confirmed that the house had two jambless fireplaces, one in the kitchen and one in the dining room. In 1740 there were two doors at the back if the house that have since been blocked up (one in the library and one in the dining room, now a window). This original structure would have been divided into two equally sized rooms, with a jambless fireplace in the current dining room. The stairs in this structure would have been between the two doors, an enclosed staircase where the downstairs powder room is planned. In 1765 the new kitchen was added, building another jambless fireplace on the North wall. Since the new kitchen had a jambless fireplace built in it, Mr Stevens believes this was built between 1750 and 1765 (pre-revolutionary war). Here are some highlights of Mr Stevens' visit:
If you wander along Springtown Road, past DeJoux House, you will see our mailbox opposite the front door. It's not especially distinguishable except it is rather large and sits on an old tree stump. It's a rusty old thing but it seems to have survived the snow plows and drunk drivers of Springtown Road. It has always bothered me that on the side of the mail box you can see the vague outline of the words "Paradox Farm" which was clearly a name that DeJoux House was more recently referred to. Occasionally when wondering the fields I would stumble across some incongruity and wonder if that was indeed the "paradox" that the farm was named after. Yesterday morning, for some unknown reason, I decided it was time to resolve the paradox. I sent a quick email to the previous owner June Finer to see if she knew anything of the Paradox Farm ghost on the side of the mailbox. This was her reply: once upon a time we, (myself and russell gilmore---my ex), met a...
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