For once, this is not an example of Chesapeake Bay Woman's inability to hold a camera straight. No, if you look at the line of trees in the background you'll see that the camera is level but it's the house that's leaning.
About a week ago on my way back from Gloucester, I took a side trip down Warehouse Landing Road, which is near Gloucester Court House in between Long Bridge Ordinary and Hodges and Bryant. The road winds through some cute houses and lovely fields before coming to a dead end at the public landing where this huge old house barely clings to life.
I have wondered many times what this used to be. It had to be associated with the landing, the river and a warehouse given the name of the road (unless it is really Ware House Road, named for this house sitting near the Ware River.)
Maybe it was a hotel? Maybe it was the home of some wealthy farmer who shipped his goods from this spot to parts unknown. Maybe--just maybe--Chesapeake Bay Woman does not know what in the hay she is talking about. Ding ding ding ding ding! Bingo!
I've asked my mother, who used to live right off this road, what this was, and I am pretty sure she doesn't know. (I"ll check again tonight since she's fixing me supper next door. Shrimp, crab claws, stewed tomatoes, garden-fresh salad, oh how I love her cooking.)
Anywho, if anybody out there knows anything about this old house perched high atop a hill overlooking the Ware River at the end of Warehouse Road, please let me know. The obvious answer is it was a farmhouse, but something in the back of the deep, dark recesses of my mind tells me there was more to it than that, I just can't recall what.
If you want to wager a guess, please take a stab at it. There are no wrong answers here in Chesapeake Bay Woman's World, only wrong numbers, inaccurate statements, and mindless chatter.
Happy Saturday.
17 comments:
Hard to tell without seeing where the road is, but I'll wager general store / post office. NOW? Probably home to all manner of wildlife.
How was dinner??
What a lovely photo - that house is totally intriguing.
Tomorrow, I'm planning to go out on the bike with my camera (I'm in the village) and start taking photos of things around here. Then I too can spend my life waiting for photos to upload on a dial-up connection...
I love that old place. I see it as an old house that had a lot of love in it. Maybe the owners died and had no living relatives. Or maybe their living relatives didn't want to be bothered by keeping up the old house. Either way, I love it. I have a fascination for old houses. Have you noticed the huge white house on the left as you are coming to the light at Wal-Mart? I took piano lessons in the little shed thing to the left of that house. Beautiful.
Like Prince, I have renamed myself in my blogging efforts which are still ongoing.
Formerly known as Lynne M.
Well, I be derned, I clicked on my little blue name up there, and my blog is ACTUALLY THERE!!!! Wow. I am so confused!!
Verification word is SYLUSH, that has to be related to MUSH, which is the description of my brain right now!
What an intriguing old house!! I love photo opportunities like this one.
My guess......A hotel.
Meg-Dinner was FANTASTIC. The crab legs were out of this world, and she had the best corn on the cob and squash you've ever tasted. WE ate and ate and ate. Then we took a deep breath and ate some more. There might be something in this world better than shrimp and crab legs, but right now I'm having a hard time figuring out what that could be.
Pueblo Girl - GOOD I can't wait to see your pictures.
To the Commenter Formerly Known as Lynne M./Angel Mama - The place you're talking about on the left as you're coming around the bend there is **FABULOUS** and it is everything I can do to keep myself from turning in there to snap photos. The No Trespassing signs are pretty intimidating. I'd KILL to go inside it. What a gorgeous building. Congratulations on your new blog - great job.
T - I'm bound and determined to find out what it was besides a house, if anything. I have a book on Gloucester County which may have the answer. If I find out, I'll post the answer.
Happy Saturday, my absolute favorite day of the week.
I love imagining the life that swirled around old houses like that in their heyday (hayday?)...
Beautiful photo. What time's dinner again? Tell Mama to lay out one more setting. Me lovee the crab.
I don't have any idea what that building used to be, but what strikes me, post-BlogFest, is that I am now familiar with some of the places you write about. It tickles me that I've been there and can, to some degree, relate!
...Now I heard that ol' house belonged to an elderly woman named 'Eileene West' and that it was said that she practiced witchcraft in that old place and that the house still possesses those same powers today. Rumor has it that if someone captures a photo of said house that crabs and ants will inhabit their life 'til death and that a dirty old wretched ghost by the name of 'Gustav' will possess a family pet and make your life a living hell... Like I said, that is what I heard... ;o)
...What's for dessert?
...Blessings...
tj-Lemone meringue pie. And you are the best.
BvB - There was a ton of life swirling around this place in its day. You can feel it when you approach it.
Audrey-I am so glad you all made the trip. The Maine water scenes and farms must be similar to what we have here, minus the stinging nettles.
I love it! The more I look at that picture the more I want to say, "I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down".
Something was scratching at my door today...guess who arrived?
GJ-Mr. Crab finally made it? From Scrooch's Market to The Spa of Texas, this crab is one seasoned traveler. (He's seasoned with Old Bay, by the way.)
I'll say this was just someone's house that had a general store.
I hate that no one is caring for it. Kinda sad huh?
Dinner sounded yummy!
There are lots of places like this up in Maine. Am now chiding myself for not taking more photos of them.
What a graceful old house - even in its leaning. I'm with the inn/hotel guessers.
BROTHEL!
Or maybe that's just my warped sensibilities. Yes, that's it, for sure.
It's now the world's largest lizard cage. Sad. Unless you're a lizard.
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