Have you seen the notary’s new house? It’s the latest style. It is very large and made entirely of stone. From what they tell me, there are 7 rooms with a large entrance hall and even more rooms on the second floor. There are large windows and big sculpted white verandas. I even heard it has four stoves. I’d love to see inside. It must be full of beautiful wood furniture covered in velvet.

It’s a real English-style villa. There are more and more houses like this one in the area. Homes have indeed changed since the English have arrived. The new style of home is sort of a mix between our local architecture, which is quite plain, and that of the English, who love to show off their wealth by adding as many windows and decorations as possible.

Video narration available in French at http://primaire.recitus.qc.ca/sujets/9/vie-quotidienne/3739

Before we never would have dared to put in so many windows; it gets so cold here. But now we can, thanks to glass windows and new stoves that heat a lot better.

When I built my home, I put in a cellar, which is very useful for storing vegetables like potatoes. I also have an attic where the children sleep. Downstairs, I made a closed room for me and my wife. I even bought a beautiful cast iron stove.

I have a beautiful solid wood house with a steep roof to prevent snow from accumulating. Maybe I will have a large veranda too someday. In the meantime, I’ll have to be content with adding shutters. I need to save some money for furniture, like a beautiful diamond tipped dresser or a crib for the baby.

Author: Service national du Récit de l’univers social

See also – Traces of the past:

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