Room 101 (The Pink Parlor), Wall D, Photo by John Butler

On Friday, Scott finished removing the trim from the Pink Parlor, pictured above.  I had eagerly anticipated the joinery surrounding the fireplace, given our recent work on another fireplace surround.  The displaced surround, turned upside-down, is below:

Pink Parlor Surround Turned Upside Down

When I think about the era in which this house was built, in a relatively new country, with newly earned independence, it can feel very foreign to me.  I struggle to understand the mindset of these post-colonial carpenters.  But when I see the joinery detail below, and a fireplace surround constructed nearly the same way I’d construct it today, I feel much closer and more connected with our region’s history.   I realize that we are still a young country, and in the context of the rest of the world, this is a pretty young house.  The importance of preservation is emphasized not simply because the house is “old,” but because so much hard work went into constructing it.

Mid Rail and Stile Joinery

Oh, and the stiles were buried deep, just like in the Blue Room.

Buried Stile

For more photos of last week’s progress, click on the slideshow, below: