Much to be thankful for; the weather has broken and the last couple of days have been glorious and I have an accepted offer in the works and it looks like I will get paid ( a paltry sum indeed) after a long, dry 8 months.These are some random pictures from the Providence Preservation Historic House Tour last Saturday. The heat wasn't too bad early on and only started getting atrocious as we finished and found a lovely air conditioned restaurant for a late lunch. ZBar, for those of you who know Providence.
Very old, very steep stairs and "Ye Olde Colonial " decor. Not my favorite.
Not on the tour, needs paint and my friend Martha hanging about.
Still hanging about at a different house
This was our favorite house. Very livable with homey, whimsical decor. We only got to see the first floor, but it was fun and had a lovely garden in the back. Those windows between the dormers are called monitors and were used to allow heat to escape. Pretty smart back in the 18th century. They claim they are indigenous to the Providence area.
House across the street from "the favorite".
This home, which is far bigger than it looks, belongs to a ...gasp...30 year old guy! He never went to college, but started a company right out of HS with his computer geek friend and in 2007 they sold to Microsoft for an undisclosed amount ( reported to be about a Billion dollars). The home belonged to the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. Sorry ladies he has a girlfriend and also has parents. I was hoping to adopt him, lol.
In the last year the formal rooms have been restored and the rest has been renovated/redone with exquisite taste. A remarkable undertaking for a team of craftsmen, decorators, landscape architects etc. This is a view from the grounds, although you can barely see the house behind that magnificent Copper Beech tree.
Funky, huh? This is part of the trunk of the Copper Beech. They are gorgeous trees and I had never seen one until I moved to this area. You don't see them often, but when you do they take your breath away.
A random Nepeta/ catmint plant. Wouldn't my kitties love to roll around in that??
This was the registration building. A beautiful home owned by Brown University.
Church Doors
Trying to get artsy...not too successful!That's it for now. I have to finish scrubbing the lattice under the deck and the railings. The part that I did yesterday looks much improved and makes the undone part look that much worse.
Later,
Janet
PS: Anyone experiencing any difficulties with Blogger? My blog is my home page and I have been unable to access it for most of the last couple of days. Because of these difficulties I have been reading your posts in Google Reader, but have been unable to comment. Sorry, I will comment as soon as I can...just remember you are not forgotten or abandoned.
Ohhh.... great houses! I especially love the one with the windows at the top used to let out the heat :o)Loved the trunk on the big ole tree too...I have never seen anything like that! Glad to see you back!!!! Stay cool and have a great weekend!!!
ReplyDelete~Des
I love those windows between the dormers, and you must be right because I've never seen any like that.
ReplyDeleteI love all of your favorites. And, that Copper Beech is amazing.
Don't work too hard.
Beautiful pictures! I love houses, never get tired of looking, could own 100. They are my passion. Don't tell the husband and kids.
ReplyDeleteThose are such beautiful houses! I love old houses and tree-lined streets. I'm old-fashioned at heart.
ReplyDeleteI too am a old house lover and perhaps border on stalker of houses as I love to look at them and yearn to know what the inside looks like. I own a historic home and am passionate about saving and restoration of historic buildings so I appreciate everyone who takes on the task of doing so. Thanks for sharing these beauties.
ReplyDeleteWonderful houses! Your favorite is mine too! My house is yellow with black shutters and a red door. Of course it is not nearly so grand - lol.
ReplyDeleteNo problems with blogger for me...
Hugs,
Penny
Loved the tour! Hope the weather breaks for us soon.
ReplyDelete:-) Rosie
What a great post, Janet!! Yes, the heat has been unrelenting! I think Rhode Island is one of my favorite states. We had never vacationed there until a few years ago, and I fell in love with RI...
ReplyDeleteSo sorry your Chips are falling victim to the neighborhood cats. We have the same problem. I LOVE cats (always have... I own two right now), but I hate to see them stalking my Chips. Over the past few years I have seen a few Chips carried off in the jaws of a well fed neighborhood cat who is only acting on instinct, but it's still very sad... I always shoo them out of my yard when I see them, but that only keeps them away while I'm actually out in the yard!
Anyhow, glad you had a wonderful House tour - and an air conditioned lunch!...Donna
What wonderful homes. I could see myself in one of those, smile... Susie H
ReplyDeleteI remember visiting Providence when I lived in New England - the homes are lovely, as are all historic districts in that part of the country. I miss the huge beeches - we don't have them here in the South - and especially miss the lilacs which always made me giddy in NH/MA in early Summer!
ReplyDeleteHope your sale goes through Janet - know it must be tough with the housing market in a slump.
Lucky you having some cooler weather now - send it South please - we are still broiling!
Hugs - Mary
P.S. I haven't had any Blogger problems this past week!
Oh how fabulous... I love those older homes.
ReplyDeleteMary
Just found you through "Hooked on Houses" Love the tour you gave us of these homes. We live in a New England style neighborhood in a suburb of Chicago.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day.