Old Rock Cottage
Lately, I've been visiting my daughter and son-in-law while in California. Lots of sunshine and beautiful mountainous sites. One area that I found particularly intriguing was a small back-country
settlement of folks. The roads were dirt and were lined with interesting, mostly small homes, all of different designs closely aligned with each other. The homes were older ones. The main road through the tiny hamlet was lined with quaint storefronts.
Winding down one of the roadways we came to a dead-end. In front of us was a well worn stone cottage sitting forlornly on an incline with its back up against a steep hill. No sign of humans surrounded the cottage and obvious age was working its way around the place.
We got out of the car to take a few photos of the place when suddenly a woman with her dog appeared outside her home which was closest to the cottage. We began to ask her questions about the old place. She had some information on it -- built in the twenties, landslide several years ago brought lots of dirt against the place and that the place was once going to be torn down.
The folks in the neighborhood had rallied and the place was not torn down. Now, she told us that occasionally artists and photographers come to the cottage to paint or photograph it. It is off limits to walk through -- the place was knocked off its foundation by the landslide and now is deemed very unstable.
We left with many questions. Yet thankful that we got a bit of background on this lovely cottage. Overall it was like finding a jewel in the woods.
Incredible old place. The kind of thing one encounters from time to time in the UK and European mountains but not what I'd expect in your part of the world.
ReplyDeleteJohn -- This is the first time in my many rural architectural hunts that I have run into a stone cottage like this. Perhaps the owner was an immigrant that brought along his/her European building knowledge to California. Thanks for your comment -- barbara
DeleteIt often pays off to take other roads than the highways. You often get fine photo opportunities and the chance to learn something new. You obviously did.
ReplyDeletePS Nice to see you back on-line!
visualnorway -- Thanks for your nice comment. Taking the other roads besides the highways is a nice way to find photographic material but I also find it nice to meet and talk with the locals and pick up a little knowledge of the area. -- barbara
DeleteIt is a tiny jewel, with a tiny red front door.
ReplyDeleteJoanne -- I am anxious to hear about your new abode. This little gem, I'm sure, has lots of hidden stories to tell. Thanks for the comment -- barbara
DeleteThis is a gem of a find. Looks more old country. Great for photography and painting though! I bet you took quite a few photos.
ReplyDeleteTabor -- Took lots of photos -- many that did not turn out. But I kept these four. The fact that the cottage had experienced a landslide into the back of the cottage made me wonder how it has kept its upright position. Thanks -- barbara
DeleteSo glad you're back to blogging! What a wonderful find that stone house is, like finding an enchanted but abandoned wizard's home. The pictures are wonderfully evocative.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, some man/men did a lot of work piling those rocks up, and hopefully mortaring them in place. It sure is a solid looking building, after almost a century. Perhaps when that happens it can become a historical building and get some repair work. Good to see you back here again!
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful, and I am glad it's been saved. But I don't think it should be renovated. Let it go in a natural way.
ReplyDeleteI would have guessed Washington. Where in CA were you? It reminds me a little of the foothills heading toward Tahoe.
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a treasure. Good to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful workmanship. The amount work building is incredible.
ReplyDeleteKirk -- Unfortunately I could not walk through the cottage. And being that it was unstable I would prefer not to anyway. I imagine building this place was a task of love. Wish I knew more of its history. Thanks -- barbara
DeleteHow neat and interesting...:)
ReplyDelete