Our Home

When we decided to purchase our home in 2007, the idea of having a "farm" had never crossed our minds. We simply wanted to find an older home with some property and restore it to its original beauty, something my in-laws had successfully done a number of times.

Verde Heights-Traditional American Four Square

My husband and I bought a great house, in 1998, when we moved to West Virginia--my home, from the mountains of North Carolina, his home. We loved our house in the suburbs and really believed we would be there until we died. However, I couldn't shake my longing to live in an older home, one with stories, history.

I love houses. I love to look at houses and I love everything about decorating them.  One evening, I was flipping through our area "Homes" magazine to see what was on the market when a certain house seemed to leap from the pages. I fixed my gaze on a beautiful, brick house, built in the early 1900s, including 11 acres of land. I had to see it.

Some of the property.  The corrals were added by us.

A few days later, I made an appointment to see it. I really didn't think it would go anywhere, but within a few weeks we owned the place. The house and property were filled with a peaceful, sweet spirit, we couldn't deny. Something like that isn't easy to define, it's just that when we visited the property and the house between the time we purchased and actually moved in, we felt better about life in general.

The house itself is a traditional American four square with three levels, which is a very common style in this area, and a simple design at that. The floors were original and in good condition. A recent addition, including a kitchen and mud room on the back of the house, was a plus. The walls needed a lot of plaster work, bathroom remodels and some electrical upgrades, but overall it was a project we not only wanted to tackle, but one we needed to tackle, as well.

The parlor pre-move in.  Original wood floors.

The parlor at Christmas after restoration.

The house and property have a few unique and interesting landmarks, including the first in-ground pool  in Huntington, WV.  The old pool had seen better days, however. It hadn't been used in about 40 years so its once precise lines and curves were now reduced to gray rubble, cracked and lying beneath a jungle of vegetation.

The old pool as we were digging it out.

The same pool restored.

Down by the pond, an old iron cage, rusted and rickety, stands silently still. It has seen 80 years pass in this spot. Some people wonder why we keep it. A few reasons come to mind. The morning glories sure love to climb it, and in the '30s, it was home to a bear on the lam from the circus. We wanted stories. We wanted history.  How could we get rid of the bear cage?

The Bear Cage on left during winter. A favorite spot of the ducks.

A long time ago, a master gardener from Pittsburgh, Pa. traveled to Huntington, WV to design a rose garden for the lady at the home on Ohio River Road. The vintage roses are long gone but the garden's potential remained.

The rose garden this past summer.  We just added the fountain.

The garden entrance in early spring

The evergreens, by the hundreds, sent from overseas and planted on the property provided the inspiration to call the place, Verde Heights.  Verde translates to green, olive, emerald-thus the name.The cedars, junipers, hemlocks and spruce, some you can't find anymore, just knocked us out. In addition, the hardwoods, such as oaks, maples, beech, walnut and chestnut with dogwoods and redbuds excited us further. But, all the trees were being taken over by honeysuckle, wisteria and grapevine.  Many of the trees were being strangled and had started to die. They needed us.

A shot from last summer with trees in the background,
standing here for many years.

We've been here about four years, and really feel privileged to be stewards of this great property for a time.  It's as if we borrowed a little history, privacy, land and spirit--if only for a little while. As we continue to live here we are also becoming our homes history.

Does your house have a history? Are there any unique stories hidden in the walls that you call home? Happy Monday Farm Friends.

Fall At The Farm

Hello, come on in and share the fall season with us. I'll get you a cup of coffee and some apple crisp to eat while we talk about the time of year that is "the harvest."

When nighttime temperatures dip into the 40s, and the smell of a wood burning fire drifts over the farm, I know it won't be long until I light my harvest or pumpkin spice candles and snuggle under a soft throw with my dogs on the couch--all sure signs fall has arrived.

Everywhere we look we are beginning to see and feel the signs of autumn. And the gloomy, cooler days of this week are certainly a contrast from the consecutive 90 degree temperatures we had the previous week. It seems summer's last September heatwave only enhanced autumns arrival. This was just the push I needed to insist the hubby make the trek to the basement and bring up the bins marked "Fall" and "Halloween." Each year I can't wait to  dig in and see what all I have in there. You see, I come from a family of seasonal/holiday decorators. We take this very seriously and you will find many bins in our attics and basements labeled with St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, my husband jokes that we may have a "President's Day" box down there somewhere. Truth be told, he may be right.

So, the stage was set. I put leaves on the mantle, pumpkins all around, mums by the front door, and scarecrows in the ground. All these additions, coupled with the early nights and cooler temperatures outside have certainly made the house feel, warm, cozy and secure.

I have been admiring my bloggy buddies decorations and getting inspiration along the way. Dog Trot Farm has me frantically looking for crows to add to my menagerie but I can't find a cute crow to save my life.  Perhaps if I got rid of the scarecrows I would have a better chance.

Are you ready for fall?  Have you decorated your home, cottage or nest? What do you like to do on a beautiful harvest evening?

Happy Fall, friends,