Architecture can be beautiful, harsh, soaring, grounding, utilitarian, or fancy. It can make you look, or want to turn away. It is the physical representation of ideas and plans, hopes and dreams. Most importantly, it holds human memories. One of the most touching parts of this restoration happens almost daily. Almost daily, someone comes and shares their memories of this place.
“It was general store, and I would go in to see the beautiful dresses that would hang on those posts. I remember a red one, a yellow one, and a blue one. They were made far away, and were so expensive. But it didn’t cost to look!”
“The owner would drive his horse and wagon to my parents house, they didn’t have car, and he would take their order and return the next day with what they needed. He did that all over town!”
“We had the coldest beer in town, that back room was uninsulated and always stayed cold!”
“Does the apartment still have the drawers upstairs? I remember they were longer than my arm could reach!”
“Oh, the parties they had in that apartment!!! I could look over and see everything!!!”
“We would climb out that window to shovel the snow off the roof, me and the boys.”
Frutti’s, Giddings, Barnard’s Country Corner, The Milkroom Framery, The Farm Store, Bootlegger Bikes, and so many more.
The assorted additions to the back had to come down, they were attached precariously and age hadn’t been kind to them. But there were memories in there, and to honor them the back has a reminder of the space that existed, and still exists in so many peoples minds.
Come by and share your memories, or please email us and tell us about what you remember!
Thank you Jane G. for doing a great job. Charlie Barnard. Say hi to Larry for me.
I had the pleasure of visiting with Jane and Terry Shaw and Rosemary D’Elia rcently and applaud their blogging efforts. Volumes are spoken with this loving care and restoration of the old building (1885, i believe). The outline of the former footprint is such an honor to see. It took my breath away and had me tear up.
We were the Barnards, Dec. 1983 through August 2001. What a wonderful village in which to raise children. We called the space beyond the kitchen upstairs “the outback”. It had amazing old fashioned tin ceilings, way too much storage space in that rambling building. Loved watching the parade with my children on the front porch and swinging on a gray porch swing hung there. Bell Gates Lumber fork-lifted our Chickering piano over the middle of that porch. In the store we scooped Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, may have been the first Mom and Pop store to do that. We also made some good subs and had a following from Smuggs’ employees.