PROGRESS UPDATE:

Charity dinner had benefits for two historic sites:
The Thomas Cole House, and our 1780's parlor

Last weekend, we hosted a dinner to help raise money for the restoration of the Thomas Cole House National Historic Site in Catskill, NY. In addition to being a fantastic cause, it gave us incentive to speed up the restoration of our parlor. For the first time since moving in, our eyes were able to feast along with our stomaches.

This was our Parlor long ago:

By the time we got here it looked like this:

Since then, we've done a seemingly infinite number of repairs to the room, not the least of which were restoring the original chimney, and bringing the walls back to their original lime plaster.

Our Parlor now:

To view a photo gallery of the Parlor's various incarnations through time, click here.

Click here to view our house in 3-D

About the Thomas Cole House:

Today, only a few remaining acres constitute the National Historic Site, but the modest, picturesque residential grounds reflect Thomas Cole's period, and are to be restored to their period condition, when the landscape was described by fellow artist, Jasper Cropsey, as “not give off an atmosphere of luxury and wealth.” The panoramic views to the Catskill Mountains and its great “Wall of Manitou,” experienced daily by Cole, can still be enjoyed. The entry driveway coming from Spring Street can still be traced, and the adjacent flower garden blooms each summer with renewed care. Close by is the Federal-style privy, built to complement the house, and Thomas Cole's studio at the old store-house. These outbuildings have, or will soon be, fully restored. Beyond is the grove of old trees, the woodlot mentioned in Thomas Cole's writings. A stand of Cedar trees in the grove probably inspired the name Cedar Grove, and it is possible that Cole himself coined the term before 1830. With its scenic attributes and authentic rural amenities, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site is a living memorial to the artistry of its famous resident and the world of romanticism in the Hudson River Valley.
Click here to visit the Thomas Cole House website for more information.

This time last year: One year later: