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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-10-04, Page 13TH,E,OtTIZO,. MON ESDAY, PPTPBER 4,1.995. PACIE 13. Fall Home Improvement '95 From quiet classroom to cozy residence Renovations refurbish rundown schoolhouse yet retains past beauty her a school bench and fireplace mantle which serves as a bookshelf at the far end of the conversation corner. For visitors to her bed and break- fast, two loft bedrooms were creat- ed by opening up the attic space above the kitchen. She can accommodate five guests and treat them to a full English breakfast with homemade jams and biscuits, box lunches and an evening meal. To mark the completion of the renovations and refurbishing as well as the 100th anniversary of the school's opening, Patricia will be hosting an open house on Oct. 15 from 2 p.m.-until 5 p.m. She welcomes all former stu- dents, teachers and neighbours to stop in for a visit and regale her with stories of the history of Toll School. Located at Lot 31, Conc. 2 of East Wawanosh Twp., Toll School can be found by turning west (right) at the fourth sideroad north of Blyth (Sideroad 30/31) along County Road 25 and traveling to the first concession. It is also the first sideroad to the left, east of Auburn on County Road 25. Visitors to the open house are asked to 'lug a mug' for refresh- ments. By reworking a room which was more than 30 feet long, Patricia Ham was able to incorporate a spacious kitchen, separate dining room and living room areas as well as a four piece bath on the main floor of her renovated, century-old East Wawanosh Twp. school house. Renovations included the addition of two loft bedrooms whiCh will be used by guests at her bed and breakfast. By Janice Becker she wished to retire to. It's open, spacious, beautiful and ''The air is clean, the sky is so comfortable, all in a space which blue and the sunsets are wonder- had, for many years, been filled ful." with the giggles of school children, Once she took over ownership of the smell of chalk dust and stern, Toll School, Patricia went to work yet kindly teachers. redesigning the building, along When Patricia Ham, formerly the with contractor Dwight Chalmers matron at St. Andrew's College of Blyth, to create a comfortable north of Toronto, purchased USS living space and accommodate No. 16, Toll School in East quarters for bed and breakfast Wawanosh Twp., the building was guests. in a rundown state, to put it kindly. Though she wanted an updated Having been abandoned as a look with the conveniences of a teaching facility in the mid 1960s, modern home, Patricia wanted to the structure had housed a gun retain as many features of the club, naturalists and a snowmobile schoolhouse as possible. club, over the years. To that end, the original maple Wallboards were falling off or floor was sanded down and refin- missing, the windows were so dirty ished, the windows were cleaned, light could barely penetrate and the patched and painted and the heat source was big, old and Made- tongue-in-grove wall boards were quate for use in a home. retained. The concept of the renovation To provide a separate kitchen project began long before Patricia area at the back of the building, purchased the old schoolhouse in Patricia had a wall constructed 1991. approximately 1/3 of the distance Realizing retirement would soon into the large one-room structure, be upon her, Patricia went in search which ran the length of the build- of an old church or school which ing. was available for purchase and the The kitchen area was drywalled renovation project. and fully insulated to provide a Having friends who frequented smaller area for heating which Huron County, she says she decid- could be closed off from the din- ed this was the area of the province ing/living areas of the home and the removed tongue-in-groove was carefully placed on the dining/liv- ing room side of the new wall. The newly created living space is open and spacious and yet a sem- blance of privacy and coziness is created by the beautiful maple, open staircase which rises to the loft bedrooms from the centre of the space. The dining room, which could comfortably seat eight (or more) is surrounded by mementoes of Patri- cia's life. Decorative plates adorn the expanse of wall which reaches to the cathedral ceiling, a sketch, created by her grandfather, whom she never met, hangs between two windows and a lovely stand, pur- chased by her father when she was but three, displays a collection of delicate tea cups and chinaware. The living room is a cozy arrangement of soft, high-back chairs and loveseats, which wel- come visitors to sit and chat. In keeping with her desire to maintain as much of the old school as possible, Patricia retained the cupboards once used to store paper and pencils and reworked the old chalkboards into doors for the lower section of the storage area. As a reminder of her 20years at St. Andrew's, Patricia brought with Magnificent staircase Leading to the newly-constructed loft bedrooms in the renovated school house owned by Patricia Ham, a beautiful maple staircase compliments the original maple floorboards which were restored in the home.