I spent about 3 hours Friday night composing the first Post for this series. I thought I had posted it but now I cannot find it. I will have to re-construct it from memory and will post it next Saturday. I am too heart-sick to attempt it right away.
Brian Smith, married to Danielle Arla, Dan and Paulette's oldest daughter (born in France and came to America with her parents at the end of 1946) is an extraordinary wood worker. He made a replica of the Trumbull House and Barn as a gift for his wife.
The actual construction took about 4 months. Brian made a total of 41 windows and 48 shutters - No wonder Grandpa mentioned quite often in his letters, the chore of taking down the screens and putting up the storm windows - and reversing the process in the spring.
Brian also cut 327 tiny pieces of vinyl siding. He built the stone fireplace to the right with160 small stones.
For a few more weeks, I will be sharing pictures of the replica of this beautiful house and barn along with photos taken from approximately the same vantage point as the pictures of the replica. I will also be sharing stories of the various locations depicted.
This is one of the actual windows that was removed from the Trumbull House when new windows were installed.
One thing I failed to tell you about is the chimney of the original house. The house was built by Daniel Hawley as a wedding gift for his daughter. Daniel Hawley also owned a slave named Nero. Daniel Hawley owned a clay pit and Nero learned how to make bricks. He made all the bricks for this chimney. In the basement, the base of the chimney was about eight or ten feet in diameter. There were three fireplaces on the first floor and two more on the second floor. It was a massive structure.
(NOTE: Nero volunteered as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, came home and was awarded his freedom. He took the last name of his owner and as Nero Hawley, started his own brick-making business and built his own house on land he purchased.)
Moving counter-clockwise around the house, we can see the front door on the far left, the screen porch left of center, the 1950 renovation door to the middle apartment and Grandpa's apartment on the far right. My bedroom window in in the attic of the middle apartment. My Dad, Lad, used that as his bedroom for many, many years. It was wall-papered and painted when I was twelve when my Mother's (Marian) Aunt, came for a visit from California. After she left, my younger sister and I moved up there.
I took this picture in 2018.
Between Grandpa's door and the new porch entry was a lilac bush. Every May I would open this window and the one on the other side of the bedroom and our room would be filled with the scent of lilacs. They are still my favorite flower.
Lilac flowers
The little window between the new porch and Grandpa's door was above the counter in the kitchen. It gave a lovely view of the side yard, especially when the Lilacs were in bloom.
Next weekend, I will continue with more pictures and stories about the Replica and the house.
Tomorrow I will begin posting letters written in 1944, when all five of Grandpa's sons are in the service of Uncle Sam,
Judy Guion
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