Stewart Farmhouse On A Rainy Day

IMAGES OF STEAMING hot cups of tea, a crackling wood fire and sweetly scented baked apples came to mind when visiting the Stewart Farmhouse in South Surrey, BC, last week. The heritage home is the perfect escape on a cold blustery day in my world.

Old lace decorating the windows is reminiscent of the curtains our great grandmothers might have crocheted. From furniture to cutlery, the 1890 - 1920 decor illustrates an era when physical labor was intense, workmanship exact and social life genteel.

The house located in the Elgin Heritage Park properties grew in disrepair over the years and needed a complete makeover. Thankfully the restoration was careful to duplicate its original beauty and simple country charm.

I wanted to explore the surrounding gardens and buildings as well as the waterway that flows near the backyard of this lovely home.

Beyond cover of the porch, I could see raindrops were starting to fall.

The welcoming guide in period costume graciously offered me an umbrella.

I gladly took it as the drizzle was fast becoming a downpour.

A soaked fly (click on photo for detail) flew under the umbrella to dry off. It kept me company for the entire walk.

Flowers seemed grateful for the dousing as they had experienced a dry spell.

It was nice to see this bent and mossy fruit tree was still producing apples.

A peek inside an adjacent building (Stewart Hall) that also serves as a museum on the grounds showed a delightful hand painted photograph of children under a blossoming tree.

The building also housed unique magic lantern slides with original art painted on each glass disc.

Magic lanterns are the earliest form of slide projection, illuminated first by candles, then kerosene and later electric light. By the mid-19th century, hand painted photographs were projected onto screens. The exhibit runs until November 6th and shows how Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) used slides depicting scenery and lush agriculture to entice tourism and immigration.

A rowing club also operates at the park site where colorful boats were at rest.

It looked as if this vessel at Ward's Marina (also at the site) was being repaired ...

while others lounged on the Nicomekl River waiting for owners to hoist their sails.

The water was a tranquil silver sheen in the rain.

Soon the sun would break through and recreational boaters would float along the river. Meanwhile, I could not envision a more pleasant excursion on a rainy day than to explore the house and its surrounding exhibits that are often accompanied by demonstrations. As the only intact farm unit left in Surrey from the late 19th century, it provides a precious window into the past.

To view more sights from around the globe visit Our World.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms