A charming bit of Tripp history

The best part of having a home with a lot of history is that you never know what has happened in the past at your house.  You feel bonded to the house like it is yours and yours alone.  That no one else ever lived there before you. You know from the layer upon layer of wallpaper that were removed over the years, the tile counter tops that are the aggravation of a lifetime and the funny pass through from the bedroom to the hallway so that you don't have to negotiate the beam that runs across the staircase, that some one else did in fact live here.  All the things that are not of your taste or doing were done by someone else.  There have been many previous tennants of the Tripp house since 1775, some I know and most that are long since gone.

Over the summer one such previous owner (I know her as a customer but had no idea that she ever lived at this house) gave us a charming painting of our house done in 1981 by Marian Dock. She passed away last August at the age of  99.  Marian lived in the house at the far end of our property and was apparently a prolific painter!  We were thrilled to receive such a wonderful folksy painting of the house back before much had been done to the far end.  Since this was painted past owners have put in French doors and a sunroom replaced the screen porch.  Now the current project will change the house yet again. 

Summer at the William Tripp House

Last week I was reading the local paper and saw an article about Marian and a picture of the painting shown below- the winter scene.  Now, Marian was apparently quite a lady and I would have liked to have met her.  Education was important to her so part of her estate was designated to further education.  The painting is part of a month long exhibition at the Deep River Public Library that includes more than of her 30 works.  The sale of Marian's artwork will benefit the eductional programs at the library.  Naturally, we have purchased the winter scene below.  How could we not?  I think a 3rd painting should be in the works for after the house is completed to finish off the series.  Since Marian is no longer available I think that Alicia Melluzzo of Deep River would be a perfect artist for the commission.  Alicia did a wonderful watercolor of our shop (and mural) and I have a growing collection of her small paintings.

Winter at the Tripp house



We're lucky to have a little bit of house history that we never knew existed until recently!