The Crooked Farm
I bought this gorgeous farmhouse 22 years ago. The house is 125 years old this year. What I love most is its location. Just far enough out of town. Surrounded by pines, littered with wildlife she stands just as tall as she did over a century ago. The home was built by the engineer of the railroad company that put in the track out front. He was living in a rough cabin during the house’s construction. The railroad is out of service now, but it must have been exciting when the train stopped to pick up river water from Ten Mile Creek. It then became a very big dairy farm. All of the farm kids were put upstairs into a 17x20 foot room. I’m sanding these old floors down by hand right now to keep me busy.
One of the girls of the dairy wasn’t too keen on the boy who walked her home from church. Marie Consantineau’s father wasn’t too happy about him as he, Ben Johnson had nothing going for him, just a simple trapper. One Sunday after church, he brought over a granny smith apple tree that he had traded furs for. Without even asking permission, Ben dug a hole, right out front, and planted the tree. When all of the family spilled outside to see, Ben finished up, got down on one knee, and proposed. She accepted. Later Ben built her a little house right around the corner, calling the side street “Constantineau Ln” after Marie’s family name.
I love the sounds that old houses make. The way happy feet sound on the hardwoods, as well as unhappy teenager feet because at least they were home safe. I love the way the brass doorknobs sound, as well as the sound of a door closing. I also love the bang of the screen door because it means someone stopped by! I love the way the house breathes in summer when you open up all the windows. The lace sheers breathe in and out with the wind, which makes me wonder how many other people before me watched the same thing as they sat inside the parlor. I love every crooked tree, every crooked floor, even the crooked porch. That means life was lived here. People sat on the porch sipping lemonade on a Sunday watching their children grow just as I did.
I love working on this home, hoping to leave it in better condition than when I found it. It is the most peaceful place. A place to unwind and forget about time. Shut down your devices and just live life the way it was meant to be lived..on slow time.
