… buildings, stories, people, dogs, books, culture, etc. Building reclamation is where these things all meet, in a physical structure that houses hints of what was… and if these walls could talk, at very least, I’m betting that the people who lived in these two 1912 houses knew each other – behind the walls, so much is the same…
The part of salvage value that’s easy to understand is the excitement of uncovering what craftsmen and regular people created decades ago, looking at how they did it/what’s changed, and finding treasures from lives lived. In the reclamation process, we’re careful to identify areas where bits of life may slip through, and be preserved… trim within reach above doors/windows in kitchens or bedrooms, or built in cabinetry/mantles. In 406 Nicola, we found ink-well pen tips from Birmingham and Toronto, a 1942 KAA “Gym Revue” ticket, a snowflake from a scrap of paper, and most exciting, a signature written on a feature piece of trim, visible from the front door and next to the fireplace…. “Wilkinson”… who was this? A carpenter? A labourer?
<<Regardless, CHILLS that no one had seen this signature in 109 years!!!>>
Luckily, Dr. Yarmie (retired, TRU – an excellent history professor!) had completed research for #KelsonGroup on these houses, and he was kind enough to pass it along.. His records confirm that title was registered to William and Minnie Wilkinson in 1912, and that William was a carpenter. It’s likely this was the builder’s signature, on his masterpiece. It looks like William perhaps passed in 1923, as he was not listed in the 1924 directory, but in 1952, Minnie was still there.
Here’s the signature, found on the bottom of the door frame on the right side of the door into the kitchen… I love that Minnie walked past it for another 30 years after William died, with Minnie either knowing or not knowing William was still with her.
If anyone has stories about Minnie and William, I’d love to hear them. And yes, this trim will have a special place in Battle St, for them. 💕
