Often now, when driving though that area, I will purposefully drive by and have even stopped for a bit to walk the grounds and rest, for there is something about this place that offers quiet and peace and a perspective on a simpler way of life.
When I was younger, I had the opportunity to stay for long periods of time at a friends home, house sitting so to speak, at another place of history, located just outside of New Hope, Pa, an area rich with colonial architechture. I loved my time there, for the experience encompassed caring for their small flock of sheep, chickens, the house and barn, and life there on a daily basis just had a strong attraction for me. I enjoyed the varied tasks of farm life and although I have not always been able to integrate that mindset into my life more recently, I often wish it were so, with time set aside to garden and read and enjoy the simple, small things. The home was one that was added onto over the past couple of centuries and was quite large, but the original space, a simple living room and kitchen with a single room upstairs was my favorite part. That area, now a library and guest bedroom was cozy and warm and when there, I would think about the varied people who perhaps once shared that very space and what their lives looked like in 1736 when it was first built, the same year this one was. It was someone's dream home long before my country even existed. I felt it a privilege to be there and although some nights were a bit too quiet for the semi-city boy I was then, I really cherished the opportunity.
This structure shown here, no longer has a family to occupy it or children playing in the yard as perhaps it once did, but it reminds me of my time in my friend's home and the history that I was blessed to live within every day.
I admire these old places and the craftsmanship and care that went into their construction and design, which clearly was thought out to last a long time. Most homes built today, have neither the skill nor the workmanship a place like this does and I doubt two hundred years from now, many of them would be standing proud as this still does.
I photographed this last winter while driving by on a snowy day, stopping to make a few exposures and have passed on the knowledge of it's whereabouts to friends, who have also enjoyed it. I have found that one of the things I like about this one, is that it somehow has a quality about it like one of those Wyeth paintings that I enjoy. I hope you do enjoy this one today and in thinking about this simple structure, think about the joys to be found in a simpler life as I do now and can set aside the days worry in doing so.
