RENOVATING A 176 YEARS OLD HOME IN AVONPORT

(Revised August 10 at 10:47 AM) 

Angie Lockhart Davison is currently renovating the old family home in the Bluff Road in Avonport. Jack Lockhart - a relative and a Lockhart family genealogist -  has traced the house to 1837. In that year, James and Jane Starratt, emigrants from Ireland, settled in an existing house on this lot. The house, however, may be older. Angie has strong feelings for the house and will live in it.

Two particularly interesting aspects of the house aside from the age of the house:

• In 1951 extensive renovations including erecting a new roof above the old one and moving the house were done without the family having to leave the house.  
• A drawing on the old plaster shows how to make a circle out of a square - a carpenter's square. 

The walls, ceilings, and floors have been stripped by the wrecking crew of Shaun Johnson, Nick Zamora, and some helpers. Darrell Reid of Newtonville is the general contractor.

Jack's parents, Murray Lockhart and wife Ellen "Nellie" MacIntosh, lived in the house. They had four boys (including Jack), two girls and raised 125 foster children. Jack often wonders how his mother did it.

The house was moved back from its original location which was near the road in 1951. It was placed on a new foundation and underwent extensive renovations. Arch Schofield  (age 53) and his son Keith (age 17) were the contractors.

Old house c1951.

Shirley Atwell at east side of house.

Ready for new footings for house. 

The following is from Jack's notes.

"A couple of weeks ago, Keith Schofield revisited the old house that he and his dad Arch had renovated 62 years ago. He explained that at the time there were some people who were quit skeptical about whether or not they could build a new roof over the old roof without the family having to move out of the house. He said, 'We had a plan and it worked. The family lived there constantly during the full renovation, never having to move out.' Keith also said that all the tools they had to work with were a hammer, a saw, and a hatchet. Arch and Keith were in excellent phyisical condition back then. Two of the Lockhart boys can remember them peddling to and from Lockhartville to the house in lower Avonport on their bikes."

Jack points towards the new roof line. The former roof line is at his waist level. 

Former roof line.

Keith (above) and Arch Schofield were the contractors hired to carry out the renovations in 1951 
and Lawson Walsh of Hantsport was the mover of the house. (Jack's photo)