Friday 8 July 2011

Travelogue: Unionville (2)

Grist mill pond and water wheel at the rear of the building.

  The Grist mill is on Main street in Unionville and was the center of industry for years in the village. It is now a complex of a variety of stores and restaurants.

Unionville home

  There are many fine old homes in Unionville dating back to the early nineteenth century and there is a very active historical society. If you want to burn money, a good way is to decorate a century home in period. I know since I've lived in an 1892 and a 1860 home. I'm an expert on horsehair plaster and straw insulation. Also there were no standard sizes for doors and windows so every fixture has to be custom made by a carpenter. If the home is designated as historic and has a plaque then every modification has to be approved but you may get money for it from some level of government. The 1860 home had a drive shed (and stables for horses) built into the back of the building and even though there hadn't been any horses in the stables for about a hundred years, it still smelt of horses. The pipes for the wood stoves probably won't meet code so you have to clean them yourself since chimney sweeps won't touch the pipes.

Home on Main street, Unionville

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