Old Hickory - F. W. Knox Villa

At times this project may seem like all windows and there is certainly a good reason for that.  The house has seventy arched windows in addition to a handful of non arched windows in the basement. One of our early goals was being able to see outside through the house's many "eyes". Even more importantly we needed to be able to see while inside the house. Sunlight shining through the windows would be and still is our primary source of illumination.  There is still a ways to go in meeting that early goal but I couldn't be happier with the progress we have made thus far.  We are enjoying the beautiful views, many of which are completely new to us since they were obscured by plywood when we bought the house. A welcome bonus has been watching the snowflakes swirl by in the wintertime without feeling the biting cold that would sneak in during the early winters of our project. Here is an unfinished directory of some of our lovely additions.  More photos are on the way! The ...

      " A trip to the mountains".  That phrase meant something different when I was eight. Back then, I would be glancing at the clock from a   tiny desk, waiting for the hands to strike the number three. Now I illuminate my smart watch, waiting for 5:00 to stand out on the screen while rolling back in my chair.        Then there is the part that didn’t change. I carry my bags out to the car and buckle my seat belt. I begin chatting about my day to help eat away at the long drive that will take us from highways to an overly bumpy dirt road. After hours in the car, I stretch my legs and breathe in the refreshing air. The apple trees are still there, maybe a little more gnarled and not bent in quite the same position. I found myself surrounded by green, my favorite color, which quickly disappears as the sun sets, giving way to an unbelievably dark and sparkling sky. It’s like nothing has changed, but that is not the truth.       ...

     I have    recently gotten a lot of inquiries into our completion date for the house. This is a question that I always avoid answering. I know a lot of it simply stems from curiosity but I also feel like a small portion of it stems from doubt in us ever being able to complete such a task. I’ll be honest with you, we don’t have a completion date and the house will never be finished. This isn’t a term paper that we will submit. It’s more like a pet that we will need to care for throughout its lifespan. I guess you might not even call it a project then, you would call it a commitment. As long as we are successful with our care, one day someone else will begin the continuous task of caring for the house because it will still need someone to help it along once we are gone. The house was listed in the local newspaper as completed in May of 1880. That wasn’t really true, in that instant the paint was already starting to wear away and the shingles beginning to age. ...

I stood on the weathered front porch eagerly awaiting the opening of the front door. Once the lock was undone the door creaked open revealing a dust-filled entryway. The air was dry and chalky. Subtle beams of sunlight drifted down from the windows up above. I stared up at a beautiful spiraling staircase. At that moment, I fell in love with the house. I didn't need to see anything else, standing in the entryway, essentially the heart of the house, I knew that it was perfect. It didn't matter that the house tried to choke you with dust or that their were pigeons flying around in the attic. Even in its state of disarray, the house was captivating. There weren't any lights in the house, there was barely even any sunlight on the lower floors due to the boarded up windows. There wasn't a faucet to rinse away the dirt that would quickly settle into your skin while walking down the halls. A tub without a water supply, an unidentifiable kitchen, windows without views. The hou...

The story of the house really begins with Franklin W. Knox, a prominent Coudersport lawyer. On a visit to Pittsburgh, Knox spotted an intriguing Italianate home. He was so fond of its style that he decided he needed to have one just like it. In the Spring of 1879, he had the two story house where he had been residing moved from Main Street to Water Street. His new home would sit prominently in its place with views of the Allegheny River. Construction began quickly and in the Spring of 1880, his very own Italianate Villa was move in ready.      A wide variety of timber was locally sourced from the forests of Potter County. Butternut, chestnut, cherry, maple, black birch, pine, oak, and hemlock would all have a place in the home. These species were incorporated into the trim, moldings, floors and staircases. All of the interior woodwork was to be left unpainted. Oak was used to construct the stunning double spiral staircase which curves up the 55 foot tower. Altern...

I’ve had a tough time deciding where to start in sharing the story of the house. I’ve decided to start with the part that involves me. I’m not from the small town of Coudersport, Pa. However, I had been making trips here my entire life. My family has a cabin in the nearby mountains. We would frequently stop in town on weekends to grocery shop or grab a pizza. I always loved looking at the houses when we drove through. However there was one house in particular that I loved to dream about. In my mind I had already enjoyed countless Thanksgiving dinners at the long dining room table I would purchase for it. I really wanted that house which led to one of my favorite hobby’s...checking the local real estate postings. I looked for years hoping it would become available. Then two summers ago I was walking around town enjoying a bag of popcorn from the movie theater when I saw a for sale sign. I looked at the house in front of me and it was bathed in a beautiful light as the sun slowly began t...