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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1988-04-27, Page 3• THE HURON EXPOSITOR, APRIL 27, 1988 — 3 Goderich street residence was country estate in former days y April's featured heritage house is the Car- roll Residence -more popularly known as the Scott Residence. While it is by no means a modest house now, at one time it was a country estate. The house is currently owned and oc- cupied by Paul Carroll, his wife Mary, and their boys Kalen and Karsten. The Carroll residence was built in 1874 by a Doctor Scott, one of the first physicians in the area and parent of the Scott lineage which populates Huron County today. At the time Dr. Scott owned the house, the environment around the buildingwas much different than it is today. His property ex- tended from where the house is located (131 Goderich Street) back to the old fair grounds. This was riding grounds for the Scott estate, and the Scott family kept a stable and a stock of horses. The land around the old Scott estate wasn't the only thing which was different 100 years ago. In the 1. l is an addition was put on the back of the house, giving it a "T" shape. This brick addition was used as a winter kitchen, and it is still there today. In modern times, however, it hold: a garage, a spa and a washroom. A summer kitchen was added on to the back of the house in the 1800s as well, and the brickwork in the rear wall of the house shows where doors once were and where a chimney which serviced both the summer and winter kitchen's once stood. This frame summer kitchen was likely torn down sometime in the 20s. Extending from the building another 1 feet in the back in earlier times was a stable which was directly attached to the house. There is no record of the stable, and when it was removed is not known. One thing which set the house apart was a porch which used to encircle the house on all sides except for the back wall. Each room on the lower floor of the house has a door leading outside, but at one time each of these doors was connected by the porch. When the porch disappeared is also unknown. Mr. Carroll says he would like to restore the porch, but the cost for the entire thing would be approximately $40,000-$50,000 dollars. However, he is considering building two wings on either side of the front en- trance. Part of the porch was built back on to the east side of the house in the 1950s and materials from the original porch were used. The house was out of the Scott family for about two decades in 1930 and 1940 when it was owned by the Fergusons. But in 1950 Prof. Scott bought it back and made exten- sive renovations. A coal fireplace was installed in the living room and a window had to be bricked over to make room for it; a garage was put in the winter kitchen; the wall dividing the dining room and kitchen was moved three feet south to allow more room for the dining area; an apartment was made of the upstairs and a second furnace was installed for the upstairs tenant; and the ceiling throughout the main floor was lowered about 20 inches to a standard height. These changes have made the home very fuel efficient for the Carrolls because the lowered ceilings make rooms easier to heat, and the second furnace allows the family to have the upstairs furnace on add the downstairs furnace off when they are upstairs, and vice versa. Prof. Scott's renovations improved the house by modern living standards, but he was away from home for about 10 years and the house got very run down. When the Car - rolls bought the house in 1976 it was in dire need. of work. A lack of easetroughs let water run down the walls, and as it froze it cracked bricks. The yard was 'overgrown so that a tractor was needed to pull up overgrown brush. A lot of brick was replaced in the house, the yard was restored, and the house was given a painting. In 1985 the Carrolls painted the house again, this time bringing shutters out of the basement and getting them painted and back on the windows. Inside the Carrolls have furnished their house according to a marriage between its heritage character and modern comforts. Dr. Scott's writing desk is the most signifi- cant antique in the building, and it is the same desk at which Prof. Scott wrote his famous county history. Scott wanted Mr. Carroll to have the desk so it could stay with the house. There are a number of other items and an- tiquesfrom early Huron County in the Car - rolls home as well, including a 200 -year-old grandfather clock which was brought to Huron County by Scottish immigrants; and a painting showing Bill Forest, Tuckersmith farmer with a Mr. Birmingham. These two men worked together earlier in this century to build the breakwalls at the Goderich Harbour. Pine floors and a solid cherry bannister on the staircase are further testimony to the wealth of the original owners of the Carroll residence. In the future Mr. Carroll plans to put a new roof on his home. The original roof was of cedar shingles, but he is not sure that is what he'll use. He has also retained many of the materials from the old porch which once surrounded the house, and will use them if he restores the porch or part of it. Mr. Carroll says he would like to see the - house more like it was originally, but he isn't making any promises. THE CARROLL RESIDENCE of 131 Goderich Street was originally built by Doctor Scott in 1874, and has been owned by the Scott family for most of the time since. It is currently owned by Paul Carlton and family, and it has been designated as a heritage house. Corbett photo. THIS PICTURE SHOWS the state the Carroll residence was in when the Carrolls bought the house in 1976. Submitted photo, lane THE CARROLL LIVING ROOM - Paul, Mary and Kalen Carroll relax in the living room of the Carroll Residence. Corbett photo. M.� Y kwa'`icfiso�a;?"i? 44 b''fi'r. Y+* ..a•;r`.,; �'�' :�,�t'y°'� .y'j;,' THIS PICTURE OF THE SAME PORCH shows some of the work the Carrolls have done on the house since they bought it -brickwork on the corner, cement work, F nd painting for starters. Corbett photo. SHUTTERS AND PAINT were added to the Carroll Residence in 1985. Submitted photo. THIS PICTURE SHOWS the porch which at one time surrounded the Carroll Resiaence. The identity of the man in the picture is not known. Nor is the horse's, Submitted photo. THE CARROLS BACK PORCH - the dark line above the back door to the Carroll residence marks the old roofline where a porch at one time extended around the entire house. Corbett photo. THE RECENTLY RENOVATED front en- trance to the Carroll Residence. Corbett photo. HURON COUNTY PIECE - This desk carne to Mr. Carroll with the house and it was owned by the builder of the Carroll residence, Dr. Scott. It is the same desk Prof, Scott used to write The Settlement of Huron County. Corbett photo. DINING ROOM - What the Carroll's now use for a dining room was a library in earlier days and the walls were Stacked with books. Dr. Scott used to sit by the pictured win- dow and watch the street as he worked, Corbett photo. 6 aI�