Bringing Back Sligo

Category: Main House

• Sligo Build Date

  Posted at 9:37 pm by bringingbacksligo, on February 13, 2019

  As I sit here typing our youngest is in our bedroom, refusing to go to bed. In an effort not to throttle her I’m doing my best to ignore her presence and type a new post.  She is what doctor’s have referred to as “spirited.”  If any of you reading this are parents and are currently parenting or have parented one of these “spirited” children then I raise my glass to you because that is the shit that makes a person drink.

  Anyway, I got off track there.  I just needed you to know the frame of mind I’m in and I apologize for any potential profanity (the above “s” word included) or threats of violence.

  Now, how do I segue nicely into this relatively exciting development in the quest to discover the age of the house.  I guess that was it…

  Our Dovetail consultant made a really neat find about a week ago when she came across two newspaper articles detailing the fire that destroyed the original house at Sligo and the construction that followed.  Both articles were published in 1888 which confirms that the first house burnt down in 1888 and the second house began construction the same year.  The articles are below:

  

  Article retrieved online. Free Lance, 21 August 1888

  

  Article retrieved online. Fredericksburg Star, 12 September 1888

   

  How neat is this?!  First of all, it corroborates what the Ferneyhough descendants told me which is the first house burnt down in 1888 and the second house was built the same year.  It does stand to reason that the second house was not complete until the following year giving it a completion date of 1889.  Also, the fire broke out three times?  How could there have been anything left?  Second of all, there is an “ancient” brick somewhere?!  I have yet to lay eyes on said brick and honestly, there’s kind of a A LOT of brick so it’s going to be like searching for a needle in a haystack but it’s worth a shot.  Finally, we have a potential source of the name “Sligo” and that is Gen. Posey.  You probably don’t remember but I mentioned him in my very detailed and very accurate timeline of past Sligo owners.  He didn’t come across in any of my reading as someone important to the property but it may be worth another look into who he was.

  That’s all I have for now.  Miraculously, in the time it took me to write this the youngest is in her own bed and happily alive (though that’s solely because her father loves her more than I do at the moment).

   

   

  Posted in History, Main House | 6 Comments

• The Paint!

  Posted at 10:48 am by bringingbacksligo, on February 10, 2019

  I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.  Here in Virginia we have started what we refer to as “Second Winter.”  This usually comes after “Fake Spring” which we experienced last week with temperatures in the upper 60s.  It was a glorious few days that makes it all the more sadder that it is in the upper 30s now.

  Anyway, I didn’t come here to talk weather.  I was just sitting here recuperating from a day spent at the Kid’s Expo with our girls (which is akin to recuperating from a night out on the town only worse as I am an introvert and to spend so much time surrounded by so many people is an absolute drain on the very fiber of my being but I had promised my girlfriend I would go with her and her girls so when we got there and saw the chaos the two of us hid underneath the Bonefish Grill table, which was handing out “Bang Bang Shrimp” samples, and let the children run amok…how’s that for a sentence?) and thought I might update the readers on the paint choice we had made.  The painters were excited about the weather because, even though it is cold, it isn’t raining and they wanted to paint a particular portion of the house before the new roof went on the porch so, it was time to make our final decision.

  We decided on Benjamin Moore Wetherburn’s Blue which is the darker shade of blue out of the two we were contemplating.  It isn’t a traditional Victorian color, which would have been more earthy tones such as reds and greens, but it will be beautiful with the Benjamin Moore Capitol White trim and the Englert Mansard Brown metal roof and gutters.  I only call out the make of the colors in case you are so curious you feel the need to Google them to see exactly what I am talking about.

  So, without further ado, I give you a first glimpse at the new Sligo!

  

  I really like this picture as you can see the contrast between the old paint, the primer, and the new paint.

   

  Posted in Life, Main House | 2 Comments

• Visit

  Posted at 8:58 pm by bringingbacksligo, on February 7, 2019

  Visit our Facebook page or our Instagram to see which two colors we are leaning towards for the siding of Sligo.

  Posted in Main House | 0 Comments

• The French Doors are Nevermore

  Posted at 9:48 pm by bringingbacksligo, on February 5, 2019

  I know, I know.  You all (y’all where I’m from but I’ll try and make my English teachers proud) have been waiting with baited breath to hear about the architectural change we have been planning.  I would like for you to keep your expectations low, something I have come to master over my adult life, and know that I’m making a big deal out of nothing.

  There are a pair of French doors off the back parlor room of the house.  They’re narrow and have a door jamb in between each door making them awkward and pointless.  Not to mention they aren’t original to the house as indicated by the framing uncovered when Habalis removed the siding.

  So, we have decided to take the French doors out and replace them with what would have been there originally, floor to almost ceiling windows that match the windows in the front parlor.  We had to make sure that we were correct in assuming there were windows before there were French doors in order to keep the Department of Historic Resources happy and that’s OK.  In the end it will look so much nicer and more authentic.

  

  The French doors at the back of the house.  They are obviously not original as the framing above them indicates where windows once were. (Picture credit to Habalis)

  

  The French doors will be removed and returned to their original state which will mirror the two large windows to the left of the front door. (Picture retrieved from MLS listing 2 August 2018)

   

  Posted in Contractors, Main House | 0 Comments

• The Servant’s Stairs

  Posted at 2:06 pm by bringingbacksligo, on January 13, 2019

  When we met at Sligo with Dovetail Cultural Group a few weeks ago it was like a light bulb went off with one of the more confusing aspects of the house.  I’ll try and describe it from the basement up to the 2nd floor of the house.

  In the basement there are obvious remains of an old stairwell.  Just above that is currently a very long and narrow half bathroom.  And, just above that, is a small room just off the master bedroom that doesn’t seem to have much purpose (it was really the most confounding of spaces).  However, it was our tour with Dovetail that helped enlighten us and it turns out all three spaces would have been the servant’s stairs, just on the other side of the main stairs.  The picture that I received of Sligo in her original state shows a door off the front porch which would also lead one to believe that this would have been the servant’s stairs.  At some point in the last 120 years that was changed to incorporate a life without servants (I’m guessing…although can I have servants?  Or at least a nanny?  Maybe a maid?  Fine, just a personal shopper.  I don’t ask for much).

  Our plans for the basement space will probably be a full bath in order to incorporate apartment living on that level.  On the 1st floor that space will remain a 1/2 bath but will also include a washer and dryer.  On the 2nd floor we plan on adding a wall, another doorway and turning that basically unusable space into a master bathroom.  It all makes sense in my head so I apologize if it reads really crazy.

  I’m including pictures to try and give an idea of what I am talking about but keep in mind it’s dark in the house because many, if not all, of the windows are boarded up.  Also, enjoy a cameo from Twila & Co.!

  

  To the left, and over Johnna’s head, you can see the remnants of the basement stairs.

  

  On the 1st floor and just above the aforementioned basement area is currently where there is a half bath.  Straightaway is where the door off the front porch would have been.  It is now a transom window that is just out of the picture. (picture taken from the Zillow listing, 2 August 2018)

  

  The 2nd story portion is harder to photograph.  To the right of the picture you see a door leading to the master bedroom into what is the small room. (picture taken from the Zillow listing, 2 August 2018)

  

  Looking into the small room off the master bedroom you see a closet and to the right of the picture is the doorway leading to the actual bedroom itself.

   

  Posted in Basement, History, Main House | 0 Comments

• Porch Decisions

  Posted at 7:42 pm by bringingbacksligo, on December 25, 2018

  27 December 2018:  Exciting Update!  Scroll to the bottom…

  We are starting to make big decisions regarding Sligo and surprisingly murder isn’t one of them.  We have *drumroll please*…chosen the roof color!  The current roof is silver metal and we have decided to replace it with a dark bronze metal.  I took a picture of the roof sample but the color doesn’t really come through so just take my word for it:  It’s dark.  It’s bronze.  And it’s metal.

  We have also made the decision to convert one of the small additions in the back of the house to it’s original state of a screened-in porch.  It currently seems to be an office space of sorts but from the beginning I never felt like that’s what it was.  It kind of felt like a room with walls that had been stapled up.  So, when we realized it had once been a screened-in porch (which is something we wanted anyway) we decided to take it back to such.  On either side of the screened-in porch will be open porches which will connect with a wrap-around.  Does that make sense?  I think it will also be more true to the original home which is something we are striving for.

  

  The space I am referring to is the small addition to the right of the picture.

  

  The door on the left leads to the kitchen.  We had planned for a porch off of the kitchen with hopes of a screened-in porch.

  

  The two French doors to the right lead to what I will refer to as the family room.  We also plan to have a porch off this portion of the house and, I could be wrong because sometimes I don’t always understand what Marcus’s vision is, both the porch off the kitchen and the porch off the family room will connect.

  

  A column remains from the original porch.  I had never noticed it before.  You can see it in the picture above, in the corner of the addition and house.

  We met with Dovetail Cultural Group and Habalis to discuss some of the changes we plan to make and ensure that they would be allowable for tax credits and the National Historic Registry.  One of the more exciting finds just happened to be with the aforementioned porch.

  Everyone agreed that at one point in time this portion of the house was a porch.  It was the Habalis representative who speculated that there was a door still in the wall…and sure enough!  The door was still there, behind the drywall.  So, was this area a portico?  A sort of second entrance?  I think it was more than just a screened-in porch.  Were sleeping porches a thing in Virginia?  I have no clue how this will work into our idea for a screened-in porch but I have faith in Habalis and that they know what they’re doing when it comes to preservation.

  

  The door was behind the wall this entire time!

  Posted in Main House | 2 Comments

• Just A Few Updates

  Posted at 10:04 pm by bringingbacksligo, on November 12, 2018

  Everyone asks what our time frame is for moving into the Cottage House.  I tell folks that Marcus’s estimate has us moving in after Christmas.  I say since we’re throwing out arbitrary holidays I’m gonna go ahead and guesstimate that we’ll move in around Easter.  Or maybe National Doughnut Day (it might not be a holiday to you but it is to me).

  As it currently stands, the Cottage House does not have interior walls but it does have a new roof.  It also has new electric wiring throughout and the rooms and closet space for each have been roughed out but again, no walls.  Unfortunately, it will need new floors throughout as the current wood floors are just a mess, having been rotted through.  The kitchen is in surprisingly good shape and we won’t change much except to remove an exterior door and turn it into a wall for more space.  It also needs windows to be replaced and a new HVAC system installed.  Also, it needs a bathroom.  All of the aforementioned needs to happen in the next 6 weeks for us to move in “after Christmas” hence the reason for my disbelief.

  We are also in the process of employing Dovetail Cultural Resource Group to help us with the Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) and National Historic Registry (NHR) and the tax credit process.  I did a little bit of the research on my own and we made it through two rounds of the VLR process but, as we got deeper, I realized my knowledge of historical research was limited and it is much more involved than just filling out a paper with what we think we know and getting approved for thousands of dollars in tax credits.  I don’t know why the government doesn’t just hand over money willy nilly?

  And, as far as the Main House and any updates with that…there aren’t any.  Marcus has talked about being in the house by his birthday next year which is in August.  My guesstimate for that move-in date is National Sibling Day 2020.

  Posted in Cottage, Life, Main House | 1 Comment

• A Belated Halloween

  Posted at 5:10 pm by bringingbacksligo, on November 1, 2018

  Happy Halloween!  I know, it’s a day late and a buck short.  Is that the saying?  I tend to get those wrong.  Earlier today I told Marcus that by doing something I would only be adding “fuel to the fodder” and as I said it I knew it was wrong but I didn’t care.  And yes, it’s most redundant but let’s just go with it.

  For a hot second (now I know that’s correct) I had toyed with the idea of having a little Halloween ghost hunt party at Sligo but I lost my nerve.  Plus, it gets complicated with two little ones who actually participate in trick-or-treating and once they heard about the idea of a party they thought they would be involved and everything fell apart before it even began.

  Also, I don’t really think the house is haunted.  It is scary looking but that’s only because of its current state of disrepair.  Besides, when I took our dog into the house he seemed right at home.  He is a giant galoot but I figured if there were an otherworldly presence then an animal would be the one to sense it.  I was concerned he would start staring at something only he could see and he never did so either the house is not haunted or he was too busy being a pain in the ass to notice (honestly it’s probably the latter).

  I am surprised that we didn’t get any calls from the police this past weekend or last night.  I figured there would be kids daring each other to go up to the house on Halloween night.  One day I hope I can be at the house giving out giant candy bars to those brave kiddos who make that long walk up the driveway.  There was a house like that in my childhood neighborhood.  It was scary only because it was old and big and had a small family cemetery behind it.  I remember building up the nerve on the last Halloween living in that particular neighborhood and was greatly rewarded with a giant candy bar so now I’m ready to pay it forward.

  Anyway, on to Thanksgiving and then Christmas we go.  The plan is to be the living in the Cottage House after Christmas but at this exact moment there aren’t any walls and the floors are rotted so…maybe it will be Easter by the time we move.  Again.

  Posted in Cottage, Haunted, Holidays, Main House | 1 Comment

• Excitement

  Posted at 10:11 pm by bringingbacksligo, on August 26, 2018

  We had a little excitement over the weekend when ADT called to inform us of a potential break-in at Sligo.  As luck would have it, we were close and able to meet the police at the property.  Also as luck would have it, I was about three beers and two glasses of wine into the afternoon (before you judge, it was my girlfriend’s birthday and I don’t drink like that all of the time…I mean, I might do that every other day, but definitely not every day) and was looking especially cute.  I only mention that last part about looking cute because, as it turns out, the responding officers were extremely good looking and it was just really a nice chance to meet the friendly neighborhood enforcers of the law, possibly exchange numbers, find out if they’re single, and overall get a really nice sense of community.  I should mention that I did not drive myself, Marcus was with me and he was sober and even he admitted the police were attractive because he’s that confident in his masculinity and our relationship.  Also, my going on and on about exactly just how cute these police officers were had nothing to do with my alcohol consumption.

  

  I’m not saying the officers looked like Channing Tatum but they looked like Channing Tatum (at least in my drunken mind).

  To get to the real meat of the story (see what I did there?), it turns out it was a false alarm or, if someone had been trying to get in, they were gone by the time we got there.  Unfortunately, someone shattered a storm door on the Cottage House, I’m guessing in an attempt to get in.  The best part about that is one entire side of the Cottage House is covered with a tarp and the perpetrator(s) could just as easily have lifted the tarp and entered that way but, I suppose criminals aren’t always known for their common sense.

  It isn’t surprising that people are still coming onto the property.  It has been vacant for so long and the Cottage House was clearly a place that squatters would frequent.  From day one I have been concerned that as work starts, people will come along and trash what we have done.  At the moment, one or two more broken window panes won’t hurt but once the real work starts and they start messing with my home, well, then I may have to send a petrified British soldier after their asses.

   

   

  Posted in Cottage, Grounds, Life, Main House | 6 Comments

• Sleeping

  Posted at 7:47 am by bringingbacksligo, on August 9, 2018

  Marcus travels a lot.  It’s become only slightly easier to deal with as the years go by but, with that being said, every new house we move into brings with it a period of time in which I have to readjust.  Mostly the readjustment period is me dealing with irrational fears of being home alone with the kids and something scary happening like an intruder or a fire but it has definitely resulted in a few sleepless nights.

  I may or may not have mentioned the fact that I’m a worrier.  Someone needs to be in this family.  For example, I am the type of person that takes the tornado warnings seriously, gathering the children and pets and huddling in the bathroom.  Marcus is the type of person who sees the warning and rolls back over to sleep.  So, I don’t know if that’s a worrier problem or just a protective mother problem but either way I suppose it’s a problem when it affects my sleep (’cause Lord knows I love my sleep).

  So, now I find myself having sleepless nights worrying about how I’m going to fall asleep the first night that Marcus is gone and I find myself alone in the new house.  For one, the house has been vacant, and the whole area knows it, and I’m worried someone is going to try and get in.  Secondly, I’m worried that the house is so old the wiring will set it on fire.

  I’m also worried that the ghosts are going to get me or are going to mess with my girls Scratch that, I’m more worried about them messing with me…the girls can fend for themselves in this case.  If something sits on my bed in the middle of the night, I’m out (and there’s a very real chance of this happening because we have a cat and I’m more of a react now ask questions later type of person).  It’s every man for himself in the night if ghosts are involved.

  There you have it.  I can’t sleep for fear of not being able to sleep.  That could be the very definition of crazy.

  Posted in Haunted, Life, Main House | 3 Comments

• Recent Posts

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  • It Was an Interesting Night…Part II July 31, 2019
  • It Was an Interesting Night…Part I July 30, 2019
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  • How’s the Cottage Coming Along? July 20, 2019
  • Sligo as a Hospital July 18, 2019

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  We have original floors! In the second parlor the floor was covered with vinyl and showed remnants of carpet so we weren't sure what to expect when the vinyl came up. Luckily the vinyl had been put down on subflooring and I suspect that's what preserved the original wood flooring. I can't wait to see them restored. #bringingbacksligo #victorian #italianate #renovation #restoration #fredericksburgva #originalhardwoodfloors #huzzah

  Marcus recently had an interview published in a newsletter where he works. Most of it was about his job but the very last question was more personal. I took the liberty of fixing it because I don't think the interviewer got it quite right. #bringingbacksligo #life #keepingitreal #mawwiage

  Hello, friend! A giant praying mantis found a good spot to hang out on the side porch. #bringingbacksligo #italianate #victorian #prayingmantis

  "Hey, history buffs. How *you* doin'?" (Say in Joey Tribianni voice) #gratuitouspuppicture #slownewsday #friends #joeytribbiani #axelvontepaske #germanshorthairedpointer #bringingbacksligo #fredericksburgva

  The bricks of the basement. My mom is the one who noticed the pattern in the second picture in which some of the bricks appear to be laid with the end facing out. Also, the "Xs" across the third picture have no meaning to me but maybe someone else has an explanation for what they mean/are for? #bringingbacksligo #italianate #victorian #fredericksburgva #englishbasement #oldbrick #renovation #restoration

  What do you and your other half do late at night? Me and mine? We drive out to Sligo and use a laser level to mark lines around the entire Cottage. #bringingbacksligo #italianate #victorian #fredericksburgva #restoration #renovation #cottagehouse #thisisntweirdatall #ifyouonlyknewmyhusband