64 Front Street At times we walk down the streets of our picturesque’ village and scarcely comprehend’ the beauty and charm ‘possessed some of our older houses. Such i 5 the case: with the subject of week’s column, the Caner Block on the corner of Front and Boersma, pleasantly ee at the ornate Victorian ‘style still’ very much. in- By the 1880’s, prosperity and affluence had succeeded the pion- eer ‘difficulty and growing pains of what’ had been basically a wilderness. ‘settlement. Descend- ants of early settlers left family farms. and, moved -to the we hamlet of Stirl swelling it population ‘to 1000 by the yea 1878. Daily stages conn tir with Belleville and the a to be. completed Grand Junction the cultural and industrial posi- fon of the town. new oo on the scene also. ‘They were the professionals; ne who. had ‘ictorian delights of ‘cities. like “Montreal, ~ Toronto and Kingst brought with them a love for elaborate architecture and impos- ing grandiosity. A native son, Dr. George W. Faulkner, at a age of ee chose to reestablish himself and began in 1872 a career of medicine and business which was to last well into the twentieth td. lission © side window defoggers * electric rear window gobed. defroster gate heavy duty battery on capacity * 392-4952 AILABLE elaine Railway: would: further improve - breed’ of entrepeneur _ ion. They _ = tles, lions rampant century. He was a graduate of McGill University and had spent a year and a half in his cousin’s practice in Washington, Iowa. He also-had a long and distinguished career in public service as Reeve of Stirling (8 years), ‘Warden of years) and Chairman of the High School Board (4 years). His-home befitted a man of his enlightened. nature and high. exterior displays the» newly ac- quired taste: for: the Second. ae stone. The central tower accees the entrance hall.and rises impres- sively to just above. the roof of the main part of the house. It may have spot ie lacy ironwork characteristic of that period which is still in evidence on the tower of the building across the street: The sloping roof is pierced with dor- mer windows. The home was laid out in three distinct sections. The stately front portion served as the family home with all three stories in use. central ‘section was the servants’ quarters while the rear part was -the stable and carriage house. The two segments fronting on Emily Street have since been converted .to apartments. Upon entering the foyer, a magnificent ne greets the eye. A ‘grand stairway with an ornately carved baimiter rises. gracefully to the upper floors, and'on to end at a doorway to the roof.. The: the walls of the hall are covered with mense richly detailed paintings - not “hanging on the walls, but. applied directly to the plaster, a la Leon- ardo-da Vinci. Unfortunately, a black and- white photograph ae never do these splendidly reserved scenes justice. ven wall is: painted with .an exciting hunting tableau. Dogs attack a stag while in the distance hunters astride galloping mounts close in on their quarry. opposite wall holds a more -pas- toral scene with a “‘castle’’ set among rolling hills. Above the doorway to the dining room is a stylized beaver crouching behind a coat of arms features the cross of St. George, Scottish this- and their fanci- The Cranston Block ful decorations. Below these trea: sures on the-small triangle formed by. the baseboard; the door trim and the stairway is a verdant pond view with fat frogs lazing on large lily ‘pads. a the bottom of the staircase in: jonogrammiatic ‘ic fash- jon appear te initials G-W-F. Leaving this setting of earthly mee ‘one enters a vast dining Outstandi pine we hich has been pace reed by the Boers- Massive sliding. doors sebitio a graceful arch lead into the living room which evokes the essence of Victorian style with” its ten foot es » deeply re win- sills, high baseboards and en black marble are The finish on the pine tri been left undisturbed for eens green plants. completes the look of a bygone-era.: At one. time a border of . hummingbit vines adorned the wall below the ceiling ig. Mr. and. Mrs. Boersma have gone to great lengths to retain the period look-in the. home. Door trim: from doors. which were sealed has been used in pene closets in. the master assuring a unifiéd look. Unusual: for a house of this time, the basement has eight foot high ceilings, Constructed of stone, foundation ~ the width of the -house according to Mr. Boersma. These houses were built to. reconstruction of the front porch. With such: quality workmanship going into its upkeep this time it should prove to be an asset to the Stirling streetscape for many years. to come. Please feel free to contact me at Le Front Street West or. by ing 395-3022 concerning any ae the houses featured. in’ this column or if you have items of als loaned to me for perusal will, of course, be returned.