Terrace Review — Wednesday, October 17, 1990 B15

Living in the home that Terrace grew up around

by Harriett Fjaagesund

—

-"T guess some people just don’t
like old houses," says Nancy Orr
in referring to her log house on
Walsh Avenue.

Nancy, now widowed and with
her children all grown, has been
trying to sell the house. It hasn’t
been an easy decision to make.
The house is. more than just a pile
of dead wood and nails; it’s a time
capsule of memories for Nancy
and her family. It’s also a part of
Tertace’s history. ;

Nancy has kept a written history
of the house, but it was her hus-
band, Leonard, who mostly talked
to the old timers in the area. And
because of that, some details are
sketchy. Exact dates are also hard
to track down because the system
for registering property was much
different at the turn of the century.
‘You were not required to file a
deed until the final payment on the
property had been made.

The house was built around 1912
by Elizabeth and Charles Gilbert
of Carmen, California. Ted John-
ston remembers returning back to

Terrace in 1913 after attending

school, and says the house was
standing then. To the best of his
knowledge, people were brought in
from outside Terrace for the con-
struction. The house and outbuild-
ings were reputed to have cost
$7,000, a small fortune in those
days.

The property was a showplace. A
long circular drive lined with
apple, cherry and plum trees, a
large carriage house (all of the
outbuildings, including the chicken
house, were also built of logs),
beautiful gardens and an impres-
sive orchard, and in an open clear-
ing beyond the gardens was a
skeet shooting range. Ted Johnston
remembers the beautiful horses the
Gilbert's kept, particularly the
sound of their hooves striking the
ground.

Each of the outbuildings was
built in a slightly different style.
The logs in the chicken house
were vertical as compared to the
usual horizontal. During the years
of the second world war, when
housing was at an absolute pre-
mium, even the chicken house was
rented out, Nancy says it was quite
a large building and was very well
constructed,

When the Gilberts built the house

‘there were only two bedrooms
‘downstairs, while the upstairs
consisted of one long room for the
water tank. After Nancy and Len

. bought the house in the early
fifties, they had an addition built
on; now there are three bedrooms
upstairs and one downstairs, as
‘well as two bathrooms. .

There is some dispule as to who
exactly built the large fireplace in

the living room. It is unique in that .

it is constructed of dark red stone
gathered from the Copper River
area; Carl Pohle claimed to have
built it, but Floyd Frank disputed
that, arguing that Pohle may have
helped but was not the initial con-
tractor. |
Eventually the Gilberts moved
back ‘to the states, possible in the
thirties. Harry Magnus bought the
house, but the deed was not regis-
tered until 1945, so the exact year
-of purchase is unclear. Magnus

Built in 1912, this Waish Ave. home owned by long-time Terrace resident Nancy Orr is permeated with memories. The house has
been offered twice to the city as a heritage building, and it is now for sale on the open market.

lived in the carriage house for
quite some time because the house
was rented and the renters refused
to move.

Magnus planted virginia creeper,
spruce and ash trees. He also put a
new cement foundation under the
fireplace, which, Nancy explains,
is probably why he tore down the
beautiful old porch, or veranda,
that ran along that side of the
house. Nancy has a few pictures of
the house as it looked originally.
Except for the addition on the west
side and the missing veranda, it’s
changed very little.

Nancy and Len completely
rewired the house. They took out
the coal stove and put in an oil
furnace, which has since been
replaced with natural gas, Ail the
pipes were wrapped in old news-
papers, and were a fascinating
read, Nancy says, but at the time
they didn’t think to keep them.
Much of the land has been sold off

over the years, but the house still.

sits on a one-acre parcel.

Originally outside the town boun-
dary, Nancy remembers when the
boundary was extended to include
them. "People were upset because
everyone in this area owned 10-
acre parcels. But we were told that
our land taxes would always be
low because of the total number of
‘people paying taxes!"

The neighbourhood children used
the field around the house as a
playground, A favourite pastime
was stealing apples from the
orchard, which Nancy still laughs
about. "We'd gladly have given
them the apples, we had so many,
but I guess they thought it was
more fun to steal them."
Years ago, during a big wind
storm, a large tree at the front of
the house on the west side was
split in two. "Len got a couple of
bolts from the blacksmith shop,

bored a hole through the trunk and.

bolted the two halves back
together." Not only did the tree
survive, but the bark has grown
completely over the bolts.
Because the house is a part of

Terrace’s heritage, it has been
offered to the city twice, but with

“no results. The first time, about

1978, was rather amusing. The
Daily Herald newspaper did a
small writeup and came out and
took a picture, but of the wrong

house. Heritage Park has also.
shown interest in the house, but

they don’t have the funds to move
it. Ideally, Nancy would like to see
the house stay where it is; it is a
house that is meant to be lived in.
"The house has so many mem-
ories that it’s hard to know where
to start. It’s a great house for kids.
We raised five children here, and
we were all very happy. My
grandchildren love this old house.
I once watched another old log
house used for fire practise
because no one wanted it. That’s a
great loss. I’ll never do that."

Kitimat
gets GO
BC grants |

Recreation facilities in Kitimat
will be renovated with provincial
government assistance of $86,667,
the government announced last
week.

GO (Growth and Opportunities)
B.C, grants will contribute $20,000
toward a new ice resurfacer for the
municipal arena, replacing a
machine that is 25 years old, and
$66,667 for a new roof over the
Sam Lindsay Memorial Poot. The
announcement noted that the build-

ing was put up in 1971 and

requires repairs.

If you don’t know
what’s. going on,
things go on |
without you.
Read the

Terrace Review

NeEeWeS
by Robert Q. Smith
General Manager

AUGIE’S LOUNGE

A most relaxing place in Terrace is our plano bar,
called Augie’s Lounge. A great spot to meet friends
and have conversation over a cool, refreshing drink. A
terrific food menu is also available. And every weekday
at noon we present our buffet lunch for only $6.95.
Piano stylings by Glenn Fossum can be heard from
noon till 2 p.m. and weekday evenings from 9 p.m. to
midnight. So remember, when you want a place to relax
and talk in downtown Terrace, think of us at Augie’s
Lounge. By the way, we also offer complimentary hot
hors d’oeuvres weekdays between 5 and 7 p.m. during

| our “After 5” wind down.

BED & BREAKFAST

When you have visitors coming to town, or people in
town on business, recommend that they stay at the
Terrace Inn. We are newly renovated and can offer
folks a comfortable stay and a good deal. Our rates
begin at $49 per room/per night and include modern
room accommodation, a full breakfast, complimentary
pass to the Terrace Aquatic Centre and a bonus mer-
chant coupon book. Guests are extremely pleased with

I| our. service and they rave about the free breakfast and

use of the great Aquatic Centre facility (all part of their
low room rate). The Terrace inn welcomes out-of-
towners.

BANQUETS

Let our banquet co-ordinator look after arranging

your next special event. We cater to meetings, wedding

raceptions, parties, anniversaries, trade shows, junch-
eons, and any other type of banquet.

Rooms available at the Terrace Inn include our
beautiful Skeena 1 and 2 ballroom or the large Dolly
Varden room. We can accommodate from 20 to 200
people. Call us for bookings and more information. Ask
for our free booklet on “Banquet and Catering Menus”.
Jackie or Margaret will be pleased to talk to you.

4551 Grelg Avenue,
Terrace, B.C.
Phone: 635-6630 Fax: 635-2788

TOLL FREE: 1-800-663-8156