Visit to the Fanning House

During an August 2012 visit the Fanning House was found in disrepair as these photographs illustrate.

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The goal here was to recreate the perspective of the 1960s photograph of the Fanning House by approaching the homestead from a path that started along West Broadway Street. A closer view from the same perspective revealed that the thick brick walls of the milk house or root cellar were crumbling. The visit began by exploring the perimeters. It was unclear which part of the house was the the oldest or the original. Several doors opened to the front porch, each fitted with a screen. Previous owners had replaced original construction with more modern raised panel doors with windows. Clothes pins and a line strung across the porch remained.
Bricks from the crumbling chimney lay on the roof and around the yard. Rot was taking its toll on the porch. A stone and mortar foundation remained under part of the house. The lower portion of a stone chimney is shown to the left. The upper portion of the chimney had weakened and collapsed. Construction of this chimney was stone, compared to brick of the internal chimneys. Perhaps this side of the house was an addition since the foundation consists on stacked stones without mortar. Logs mortised into a hand hewn beam provided the floor support. This was the only evidence found for speculation that the original house was made from logs.
Interesting texture from layers of peeling paint. Nature was beginning to reclaim the homestead. A rain gutter with a clogged downshout provided a good place for new vegetation. Peeking inside of an out building or small barn beside the house. Perhaps this is an original door which remained on the back of the house. Looking through opened windows revealed two fireplaces with mantels still in place.
Close up view of architectural detail of the first fireplace. The second fireplace of similar construction and style. Bricks were giving way to gravity both outside and inside the house. Knob and tube wiring leading to an overhead light socket. Old windows boarded up.
"Modernized" kitchen as seen through an open window. Back door. Completing the tour with a final visit to the front porch. Passing by the milk house or root cellar on the way back to the neighborhood.