Old Hickory - F. W. Knox Villa

   People always say that location is key and that is certainly true for our incredible house.      For those of you who are not familiar with the house’s location it is on nostalgia inducing Main Street in the small town of Coudersport, Pennsylvania. The Allegheny River runs along the side of the house but so early in the river's existence that the size of the waterway, like the town, is quite small. The closest major city is not even in Pennsylvania but can be found about two hours North in New York.       Unaffected by urban sprawl, the town has developed slowly.  Looking out a second story window you can see the classic marquee of the local movie theater. Strolling down Main Street you will pass by historic brick buildings of a bygone era. Many of these buildings were constructed soon after the house, when the area was bustling with logging activity. As the trees disappeared so did the town's need to grow. It allowed for th...

For those of you who have been wondering if we are documenting the renovation, the answer is yes. I have taken thousands of photos at the house. If you see someone outside the house obsessively clicking away, it is probably me. Before and after photos have become somewhat difficult due to the amount of scrolling required to get back to the beginning. I find these photos to be incredibly important. Its amazing what changes can be seen in just a few days or photos and even more incredible when we finally make it back to the beginning. Some shots are just of the house, but my favorites are the candid shots with someone working in the background. What I share online is really just a small fraction of what I have collected. Another small fraction of my photo collection makes it into a book. The inside of the house, which I've really only given a glimpse of online, is inside those pages.  This book was a Christmas gift for my Dad. He gets the additional in progress shots that I don't...

      " 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...

I'm sure you've heard plenty of whispers around the little town that the big old house is haunted. People have seen faces peeking out from behind the partially boarded windows. They haven't been inside but I'm sure some would say with certainty that there is a constant presence inside the seemingly lifeless house. I have been inside and I must say that I agree. A chilly breeze causes me to hastily close up my jacket. Dust drifting down from the rafters falls upon my head, creating gray streaks in my hair. I roam from floor to floor trying to trace footsteps that suddenly disappear. It seems that I am always searching for something. I examine the floorboards, check around the fireplaces whose blazes died out years ago, sweep away cobwebs to see what the spiders have been hiding. I stare out the windows looking for clues. To be honest with you, I have no idea what I have been looking for but know with certainty that I will find it, even if it takes an eternity. Dur...

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...