03 May, 2009
Two, or four square.
The fireplaces totally flumoxed us when we first moved in...how were we going to arrange the furniture? But the truth is, this is an old house. 1774 is the date we've been told, although it's been updated and added to many times over the years (not so much recently). So originally the house would have been what they call a "four square". A square house with 4 square rooms downstairs and 4 square rooms upstairs and a central hall. Each and every room in the house had a fireplace as that was the only way to heat. At some point the wall in our lounge was totally taken out...the walls between the now dining and other lounge (Matt's room) and the hall were also mostly taken out/made into big doorways and now everything is totally open plan. And while I love open plan, it doesn't really work with a big family-sometimes you need doors! But the only fireplace in the whole house that still works is the one we use...the one our furniture is facing. We've had to pretend the other isn't there-although I do like the mantles. But two fireplaces is always a talking point when people come to visit...
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That expalins the dual fireplaces ...We had fireplaces in every room in our last house in St Leonards...not quite as old as the one you are living in right now(it was the original post officce for the area though)...we had to close them off in the summer with pieces of flexable "burnieboard" pushed up to the narrowest part of the chimney from the inside and stuff the edges with news paper to keep the "blowies" out ...once we got a possum down the chimney into the house another reason to block them off...and lastly the draft was a killer in the winter....
ReplyDeleteWell, I can appreciate what you're saying regards noise (and heating), but I loved your house, as it has real charm. Just wondering about where they actualkly cut the firewood back in those days, but I guess it was forested all around. mum xx
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