Three months had passed since April 21, 2011 – my first visit inside the Petch house. The destiny of the 160-year-old log house was then unknown, but promising.
On July 28th of that year, I found myself back inside the Petch house snapping photos once more. This time was special. The natural light poured in through the windows and roof, illuminating the heavily deteriorated logs. I discovered more hidden treasures and marveled at the details. The house exuded a new energy, a positive vibe that was infectious.
The Petch house, which has been embraced and nurtured by nature for many years, was thrilled to welcome friends back inside. These friends are now working effortlessly to save the weak structure on the side of Leslie Street in Aurora.
Deteriorated corner
Peter Van Nostrand and his team are currently restoring it, which is fascinating considering his strong ties to the Aurora community. Rumour has it that the house was on its last legs and I was able to witness it firsthand. The pictures don’t lie!
The log-house has been aired out and cleaned for several days now, and the transformation is truly remarkable. The interior is once again stunning. While it may not resemble the modern decorated houses we are used to, the craftsmanship and skill that went into building it are truly impressive. If you have an eye for detail and can appreciate the hard work that went into creating these homes, you can see the beauty that lies within.
The Petch house is embarking on a new journey. It will never be the same as it was originally, but it will be a stronger, renewed, and restored log house that will stand the test of time for many generations to come.
It will never be a home for a family again, but it will serve an important purpose in our Town. I feel privileged to be involved in the project and to document the restoration process that is currently underway. Thanks to Katherine Belrose, I have the opportunity of a lifetime to be part of this historic event happening right here in Aurora.
Our experience and technicality of the restoration from July 26th-28th are now published on The Friends of Petch House website – “Petch House Layers Tell Us Many Things” by Katherine Belrose.
The Petch house is getting a new location after it’s restored. I’ll miss seeing this log house standing all alone on one side of Leslie Street. But soon enough, it’ll be gone. And who knows, that beautiful country road view might disappear too.
Later that day, I decided to check out the garage. I was on a mission to find my sealed plastic container. After a bit of searching, I finally spotted it resting on the shelf. It was the same shelf where I had stashed my Petch box three months earlier. This time, I had a cool find to add to my collection – a rusted nail from the late 1800s. I also had some deteriorated log pieces that I had picked up back then. They were just soggy, dark chunks of wood that were on the verge of falling apart completely.
I carefully opened the box and was shocked to see that it was alive once more. The wood chips had changed color and a new plant species was growing on them. The pieces, not too far from the Petch house, were glowing and breathing just like the house did on the day I took a picture of it back on July 28, 2011.
