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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-09-09, Page 28ACRE 12A--GODER.IC13 SIGNAL -STAR 1'HURSLAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 197ti D. When Jack Grace bought.his house 17 years ago it Was in a drastic state of disrepair. The interior walls were un- salvageable and there were no floors in the .place. The washrporn was-ln the back yard and a tap in the small Efforts sp l _17 years kitchen -bedroom at the rear was the extent of the plumbing. The only reason he took on the job of renovating the house was because it had four solid stone walls and a good roof.. ouse is a house, BY JEFF SEDDON Jack Grace has devoted •17 years of his' life towards the fulfillment of • a dream, a dream that has governed his past and if •all .' goes as he hopes; will mold his ;future. Jack is renovating a' house, turning it into a "home. His efforts thus far have transformed an abandoned old farmhouse into a home any decorator would be proud of. The house • . had . stood completely untOnehed for about three years and had fallen into a state that would more readily agree with a• wrecker's hat/liner :than a carpenter's. But .for, Jack•'it represented a goal. A place in thecountry where he could raise a family.. "It was about the only way I knew to get what I wanted," he reminisced. • For $3,000 Jack bought four stonewalls and a. roof. The house was divided into two •_ portions; -ons, tiheAt in-ll'ii area and, the other a tiny two. room kitchen built onto the back: The kitchenhad been home for a hired man. working the. farm „ for its. owners .for :several years, while the front portion had been untouched for just about as long . as anyonecould remember. The hired man had moved out three' years prior to Jack's purchase. There was no 'plumbing in the, front portion of the house and only a tap in the rear. The Washrooms were outdoors, and -a small furnace in the Tear quarters kept' the winter Out. The inside of the main houfie. was in shambles. Very few. of the interior walls were salvageable. Most of the windows were gone andl$tere were no interior floors. "Itr•was all I needed at 'the time," said. Jack recalling. when he, his wife and two babies moved in. The house. was . originally the Salkeld family' trmhouse and . was .built around 1860. Jathbelieves it was one'of the first houses`built 'hi the area south of •Goderich and: at one time served••as the cltibhous,e forthe Maitland Golf Club. The first four years � of his . ownership were spent making themain portion of the house, livable. Jack toiled removing the interior walls of the"house • which were all stone and were all too 'far gone to repair. The partitions were built the same way as the main outside walls and ihcluded . a, double chimney , that permitted a • stOve to be put.on both sides of the wall to keep both rooms j��ar111R. .....cd;x:r yai ._trx .:• :. .. ..Ta<c.+.a; 41r- "I didn't havel. to take the Walls down,- js uaut;'" said -Jack. • LARGE LIVING SPACE The ' theory behind the removal of the -walls was to make the'house open, on the ground floor:. Jack.wanted to have .the 'entire first floor family area, open despite the fact that it comprises four rooms.' He tore down walls that didn't provide support and chopped holes in the ones that did, shoring them up -with • large beams... ,... • 'The , result is one that, makes ' the - house "a great 91 party house" according to Jack. He claims 50 people can be invited ,.to a Christmas party and never feel crowded,' despite the fact that they can all see each other. Rebuilding the floors and ceilings was a major task in the renovations and a special. effort by Jack turned his floor into a conversation piece. The material on the floor is in_: dustria1 maple taken,..out of the 'old Goderich'• grain elevators ••about •two weeks before fire destroyed it. The wood , was -completely refinished 'land Jack screwnailed. it down placing tiny _pieces of dowling ,over the heads of the fasteners giving' the effect . of a mastercrafted hardwood floor. • WELCOME -SERVICE would like'io call yew .with "housewarming gifts" and in- torrnation about your row location. The Hostess will be glad to arrange your subscrip- tion to the Signal -Star Coll her it 524.2057 A.confessed amateur when it comes to carpentry, Jack said he . had absolutely no; experie ce in the art when he started ork on the house. He has a natural ability to fix things, and although' his methods may be unorthodox. his:results always seem to be the same; successful.. To provehis: point • Jack takes visitors into his dining' 'room .to=' show them a fireplace 'he built.. The, fireplace -is hgmemade from the bottom. up, .the blocks made by Jack by pouring cement forms and breaking them.. in half to make the jagged edges for the front. He . points: to the mortar joints and. "says that he always wondered how. Masons -7 - managed to get the joints the. • same depth and width. "If you'look at these they're all the same width as 'my pinky, he says running his • finger clown a joint. It was ire 41y way" I`"coul'ci`'iure out' how' to make them the • same.'" Most ofthe wood' .used _on 'shelves and in archways in the house, was collected by "Jack and cut and planed to his needs. He scouredbush lots in the 'area to find woods, like butternut, cherry, •,black :walnut and maple and cut the un#i trees down „.lximsel?" taking them to a saw mill to have them prepared foruse: The hunt for- materials did not stop with . wood. An old barn ori the property provided Jack 'with the stone for one fireplace and • trips : to the Lake Huron beach provided more stpne for othenprojects. "The biggest fun was trying to: -accumulate,., available -Materials for the. stone and wood work," said Jack. ` The • Countless hours . of -labor on the house have been :a 'source of happiness foi- Jack who shrugs and claims •. he would rather be working on 'his house .than sitting somewhere in a bar. He 'realizes he devoted a great deal of his spare time to the work but feels that he hasn't missed anything as a result of if. He . has travelled .ex- tensivelyand has enjoyed watching and being a part of • es • r.• The result of Jack's efforts turned the house into a -stately home in the country. Jack gathered all his own materlahfor the work and did most of the carpentry and masonry 'himself.'He can't put a value 'on the house claiming it has too much of him and his family in it to sell. house t standing tritute to the •Grace family. He cltinis the renovations hAive ;added to the richhistbry hits faFri ien4 rowing ... up. . FAMILY PROJECT .A -lot -of the familg:interests.L centered around. the 'house• according to Jack, who points ou•t-that'part of him, his wife and all .his :children is in the house. He explains that the efforts on thehduse were not entirely his, tri g the GUARANTE[D INVESTMENT CERTIFICATES. TO 5/$ BruceArsk ne PIir►flS 524.0555 se )h Orth $t: 5tandar A AUTO GLASS LIMITED "THE GLASSMEN OF ONTARIO`' For vinyl tops • convertible tops • csir uphotsts y''.` • windshields • body protscttvr mouldings, • Van sunroofs o • Pinstriping•' 356 BAYFiELD RD. GODERICH CALL 5242136 %'fir/i r<i'' .,. ?:.,. ,%;,t• :.'.... `• y? . •r.r .yfr,.• .>.:r r /..'•'?y�ir .5.5•'�tr rro.f•.•�., FORCED .TO_CLOSE • OFF ALL �• tO `� ' 10 ;MERCHANDISE • Craft supplies and kits •`e Artist Supplies • a • '.Picture Frames • Knitting Supplies i Paton and Baldwin yarns e, Needle 'point and ,Crewel kits • Rug Hooking Kits Tapestry Tapestry_ woolRug wool. .•e Gifts and Hand Crafted Jewellery with genuine gem stones at'HALF PRICE. Sale Starts Tues., Sept. 7th 10:30 a.m. OPEN 10:3b a,Xn.• = 5:30 p.m. DALLY,• ho of the house which is something he would rather have then _to have built a new (continued on page 13A) .ZUKI- : ALES & SERVICE • ® Complete Line' of parts & Accessories Factory -Trained Licensed Mechanics. Zeit `ttta w. 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