ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE AND MORE

Just prior to my move to the coastal Oregon area my daughter came for a visit. She loves to go antiquing so we decided to take in the small town of Aurora, Oregon with all its many small shops. First stop was an old railroad depot that has been an antique shop for a number of years. My daughter has her hand on the item she bought there -- an old railroad lantern. 

Next stop in Aurora was an old mill that has become a salvage shop. We totally expected the shop to have the salvage just piled around in its interior. To our surprise it was organized and beautifully laid out. 

Most anything vintage seemed for sale in the mill.

Old numbers and letters lined the wall  -- marching up a staircase.

So many rooms of nice salvage to use in commercial establishments or a home

We had a great time perusing and suggest if one ever gets to Aurora, Oregon that they stop and have a look. You can't miss this mill as you drive into the little town of Aurora.

After a late lunch we drove home hoping someday to return to this quaint little town.

BEHIND OLD STOREFRONTS

Vintage backsides 

 Linn County, Oregon

OLD VERNACULAR CORN CRIB IN THE COUNTRY

Sitting alone and unused in the hill country of Estill County, Kentucky is this vernacular hand-crafted old corn crib built probably during the early to middle part of the 1900s. Vernacular in the sense that the structure is concerned with domestic and functional use rather than fashionable. 

On the bottom of the crib runs a metal strip acting possibly as a barrier to keep varmints from entering. A small unused gate leans against its front corner. Once used as a structure to store corn cobs as feed for the farmer's domesticated animals -- it now stands as a fragment of our past. 

Its weathered silvered wood displays a contrast against the fields and woods behind it. Driving by the crib, folks can glimpse at this symbolic structure that represents what once was. Its condition has been kept in fine repair. I wonder what its future holds?

A vintage style board and batten door with old heavy hinges is the only access to the corn crib that I noticed from the road.

VINTAGE LIBERTY THEATER

"LET'S ALL GO TO THE MOVIES"

 VERNACULAR DESIGN BASED 

ON THE SPANISH ALHAMBRA STYLE

probably built during the early 1900s

This old beautiful Liberty theater is still going strong in the small town of Camas, Washington. For a vintage night out look for an old theater near where you live, buy your ticket at the front ticket booth, bring your own freshly popped popcorn or visit the snack counter then sit back and watch the big screen. An enjoyable treat. 

HANGING OVER THE CREEK

Otter creek is a lovely body of water that runs through Madison County. It even has some mini-falls that are moving quite swiftly this spring. 

I was driving along one side of the creek a couple of weeks ago -- admiring this vintage farmstead's backside when I noticed a small structure that was halfway hanging over the creek-side. The backside of the old wooden structure had stilted wooden legs built to the upper part allowing the whole structure to remain level.

Now what was this structure/outbuilding used for?  I believe I have the answer? Do you? Come on -- have some fun and try to guess. Here is a close up of the outbuilding. 

OLD 1928 VINTAGE CATALOG -- TRELLIS, BENCH, AND FENCE

Here are some summer projects for the skilled (or unskilled) crafts-person.  Took these images out of an old 1928 lumber company catalog that I found years ago. I sold the catalog this spring but I did take a few photos of the  catalog's accessories before it landed in the buyer's hands. 

The above double trellis is actually a set of benches.  

I like this bench. A little bit of 

cozy feeling comes with it. 

More bench enclosures

 Look close,  it also is a good place to put birdhouses

HANDSOME TRANSOM

TRANSOM LIGHT, LANCASTER, KENTUCKY

Lancaster, Kentucky is a small town that had a population of 3,734 in the 2000 census. Within the town's borders you will find a diverse collection of vintage structures represented by commercial buildings as well as homes.


I have been taking photos of these structures for a few years. One of my favorite places to visit in Lancaster is the Garrard County Historical Society. It is a place where extremely knowledgeable folks hang out and can answer most questions about Garrard County and Lancaster. 


I took the photo above in Lancaster. My eyes had floated to the transom light above a commercial building doorway. If you look closely at the above square window, that is located above the entrance door, you can make out a name of G. C. Walker. This square window is called the transom light. Transoms became a building tradition in the 1800s with a name and/or address  placed in gold leaf on the transom's glass. 


After the 1800s, transom lights over doors slowly lost their popularity.  These old transoms were hinged and could be independently opened from the door below it, thus providing light and ventilation to the interior. 


This transom light is especially handsome as it incorporates the Victorian architectural features that surround it.  I'm sure there are a few other transoms in Lancaster that I have not noticed. 


Lancaster has so many beautiful homes and commercial structures that are unique, both small and large. I plan on many more photo sessions in this quaint town. 


Reference:
 To view an old transom in a kitchen visit
 old house web

VINTAGE CORN CRIB

WIRE MESH CORN CRIB

I noticed this storage structure on a very small abandoned farm. I really was unsure of its use and so, of course, I roamed around the internet to see what I could put together. Well, finally I deduced that it was a a crib used to store corn. I figured one could store a heck of a lot of it in this metal structure. 


The closest I could date this vintage corn crib, as to when it might have been used, was perhaps early to mid-twentieth century. The little one-story farm house on the property was probably of the 1920s. I figured that, as a farm, I was looking at one that was viable during the early to mid 1900s. 


Apparently these storage cribs are going out of fashion as some people are buying them off  farms and transporting them home to be turned into gazebos. I figure that is a recycling plus for these hard working old ladies of the farm.