ScrapBookUSA: North Collins, NY
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Angela Mecca
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, NY 14111
screen name:DianeNC
That Old House
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This story is about a very old house that my family has lived in since 1932. My grandfather moved into this house when he was14 years old. He lived here with his nine brothers and sisters, his parents, and his grandparents. My father also grew up in this house with his brother and sisters, his parents, and his grandparents. Now I am growing up in this same old house with my brother, my parents, and my grandparents. This is three generations of Meccas living in this house.
Before my grandfather moved in, some people by the name of Smith lived here. The house is about one hundred fifty years old.
My house is so big that there were many unexplored parts of it. When I started doing research for this essay, I discovered some trap doors. In my room, I found one trap door and inside I found my Uncle Jim's old diary from when he was ten years old. He is now 28. In the diary I found many untold secrets from my uncle's childhood. On another search through the house I found an old journal from 1944. It is a record of all farm expenses and income. It is surprising to look and see how much prices have changed
throughout the years. For example, calves cost $4.50 each. Coal cost $39.38 for 6,300 pounds. Chicks cost $.13 each.
My grandfather has many interesting stories about some exciting events in his life on the farm. My favorite is the story of when my grandpa would go to bed with water on his bed stand and when he woke up in the morning the water was ice.
I liked working on this essay because I got to learn about my family and my house.
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Jeff Sappelt
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,NY 14111
Diane NC
That Old House
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I liked my old house because I found my first fort in the bushes. I also liked my old house because it was right by a golf course. I only went golfing once .It was fun. I also liked my old house because the school was big. The school also had a pool, tennis court, and a big gym. The thing I liked most was that there was a beach right next to my old house. I loved watching the boats go by real fast. The thing i didn't like about my old house was that the people next to me had a very mean dog. I also didn't like the pool at the school because I had a body board under me. My sister Marissa came up besides me, and grabbed the body board from under me. I couldn't swim so my mom jumped in got my sister, and then came back for me. That's why I don't like water. I liked the school because it had two playgrounds. One inside and one outside. I only got pushed off the inside playground once.I never got pushed off the outside playground.
That is the history of my old house.
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Suzanne Schmitz
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, NY 14111
Diane NC
That Old Barn
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My grandmother owns a farm. Who cares, right? Wrong. This is a special barn. For over 20 years, Grandma and Grandpa ran a dairy farm there. Now, no one runs it. My grandfather died about 16 years ago and all the barn is used for is hay storage in the hay mow upstairs. Still not a very interesting story, huh? Here's the neat part. This barn is not square or rectangular, it is ROUND. Well, actually it has 16 sides, but it looks round. It is a very big barn. As a matter of fact, my cousins and I ride our bikes inside of it. It is just like riding in a circle. A few years ago, Grandma had the whole barn reshingled.
The farm has MANY acres of land with it and on all of the property there are 6 buildings: a huge, two-story farmhouse, a two-car garage, one storage shanty where she keeps a big Ford tractor and other small machinery, a bike shanty where she still has my mom's, my aunt's, my uncle's, and her [my grandma's] old bikes. She also has little kid bikes that she bought for her grandchildren. Another building is an old outhouse where everyone went before they had running water inside, the barn of course, and one more shanty where she keeps old farm machinery. By the way, my grandma calls storage buildings "shanties".
The barn was built in 1901 by Charles Hager. Now, my grandma owns it but is thinking of selling it.
The barn is a member of the New York State Historical Society and is the only round barn in our county [Erie County]. There are only a few in the whole state of New York.
The barn is special to me for quite a few reasons. For one, I am proud because it is so popular and famous. People stop just to look and take pictures. For another, my cousins and I have done a lot of fun things in it. I love that old barn. I will always remember it and treasure it. Here is a picture of it from an old newspaper.
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Christina Bolya
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, NY 14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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That Old House
My grandmother's house is special to me because my mother grew up in it. The house is very old and drafty, but its in very good condition still. My grandparents bought it after they got married, and they still live in it now! My mother said that it feels so strange to go to that house for holidays and things.
There are only two bedrooms in it, but there is a large basement that has a rug, a piano, and a big bed.The basement also has a crib, two dressers, and two baskets full of toys. They have these things because sometimes my younger cousins from Virginia come up and visit. In the basement there is another room. This is where the washer and dryer are kept. Also in that room there are big boxes of things. Some boxes contain the antlers from deer. Others just contain food.
Upstairs there are two living rooms. In one of them there is a couch that folds into a bed. In the other one the couch doesn't.
The reason why there are so many beds is that sometimes my cousins from Virginia and my cousins from Tennesse come up to visit us.
It's fun when they all come up because there is alot of stuff to do and I hardly ever see them. That is why I like that house.
==================================================================Erin Hoffman
North Collins Elementary
North collins, N.Y. 14111
Screen name:Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================My Gramma's house is 46 years old. My Grampa built it. It has five bedrooms, one dining room, one living room, one playroom, one kitchen, and two bathrooms. There is a big yard surrounding it. It's white with flowers and bushes. It's special because my Gramma raised ten children in that house. It's very, big too. It has a swing set and a mill behind it. There is a field behind it too. It has a patio and a sidewalk. There are three apple trees and a couple pines. It has a shed and a tiny garage. My Gramma keeps pictures on the walls and some mirrors. She keeps her canned foods down in the basement. On the porch [ which is in the front ] are two pillars.
The house is on Sisson Highway. In the front of the yard is a big tree.[I don't know the tree.] The flowers in the front are roses. In the back was a pool, but she couldn't keep up with it.
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Kati Rivers
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, NY 14111
screen name:Diane NC
That Old House
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Obviously, I'm writing about an old house but I've only been living there for about 4-5 years. Even though I've been living there for a short amount of time I have found some pretty interesting things about it.
My property was made into two lots meaning my property was divided in half. In 1832 the property was first bought with no house on it. During that time a man who bought the property sold it in consideration of $1.00. I asked my dad why he sold it for only $1.00 and he said"because he was a nice guy". It wasn't until the late 1920's early 1930's that my house was finally built. When it was the house was remodeled 3 to 4 times. My family and I wish that we could see what our house was like when it was first built.
A decade (10 years) or so ago some person threw a bomb at my house! Hard to believe huh? It blew off part of the front and side of my house. If you could see which you can't the brick that got put on my house to repair it has more color than the older brick. The good thing is that I wasn't living there when it happened. It's a good thing too. The bad thing is that the man who was living there at that time, was sitting right where the bomb was thrown when it was thrown. To bad for him.
A man who used to live there said that there might be something hiding in the floor or the walls. My cousins searched through the whole house to try to find the so called "treasure". And you know, it's amazing that they didn't find anything because they looked for so long.
My house is special to me because it's my place to live and I know that when I go home I know my family will be there.
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Arlie Rinaldi
North Collins Elementary
North Collins NY, 14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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My grandma lives at 2078 Sherman Ave.. The house was built in 1840 and was owned by the Sherman family. The street was named after the Sherman family. Also the building at the corner of Brant Street and Main Street is called the Sherman building. This shows that the Sherman family was important in North Collins. Edna Sherman married Franklin Kelley and she operated a gift shop on the second floor of the house called the Green Lantern Gift Shop. Mrs. Kelley died and Mr. Kelley became depressed and started hiding money around the house. He started to throw things from the gift shop in the backyard.
My grandma bought the house in 1970. When my mom, my grandma and my mom's sister went to look at the house my mom still remembers: a top hat and a cane and white dress gloves that come up to your elbows which were so small my mom could only fit three fingers in. There was an iron chandelier hanging in the dining room that was so heavy it was pulling down the beams. There was a porcelain doll upstairs in the attic and a Tiffany lamp along with many other antiques. My grandma still has the original stained glass door. Once a man stopped and offered money for it. She still has the original stove and it still works, same with the sink. The parlor is twenty-five feet across, the dining room and the parlor have windows that open and close like French doors and are ten feet tall. In the hall there is a ten foot tall mirror with a marble base. After twenty-five years my grandma is still working on the house and sometimes we find little glass objects from the gift shop buried in the backyard. Most parties and holidays are spent in her house and it will be sad if she ever moves out.
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Jacob Smith
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y 14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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My old house is a old restaurant. The basement is made of stone and cement. There is a coal shout in the left corner for the basement. The stove is not in use write now. There is also a little room in the right corner of the basement which nobody knows exactly what it was used for.
It is 3 story's high and is over 100 years old. The bottom floor is the first floor. The top floor is the second floor. The ball room the third floor. The building has a plaque that saws the building is 116 years old.
On the bottom floor there are pillars that are 11 feet tall. The pillars are 3 feet thick. There are 6 pillars in the one only one room. The pillars have been in the building since the building was built in 1878. The pillars are brown and white. The outside is white.
==================================================================Dianna Lomanto
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y. 14111
screen name : Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================Ever since my Mom & Dad had my two sisters and I, my parents have dreamed of getting an old house that we can restore and make our own. They also they also wanted to be able to remodel the house and see what it was made up of, and we did.
When we finally started to restore and or remodel our house. When we did we found a lot of neat stuff and old things.
Things that are hand made : nails, boards, and moldings. Another neat thing is that we have a mostly beam constructed house ; ( at first my house was just a summer cottage. )
This house was built in the late 1800`s in the village of North Collins, N.Y., not far from the red light. Near the town Library. My house was later moved.
My grandfather remembers when my house was moved, in 1927, by horses ; to Brant, New York, ( which is about 1/2 a mile down the road.
My family also thinks this house is very special, partly because ; with the little work we have accomplished, we have almost totally and completely restored and made this house bigger.
When we moved in and were starting to rebuild our home and we had to build-onto the foundation ; worrying if there was any quick-sand underneath. However, none was found.
At this time, we are putting on yet another addition. It is for ; a bigger kitchen, more space in the attic, my new room, and a new ( extra ) bathroom.
The outside of the addition was completed just before winter arrived in Brant. ( We are still building the inside. )
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Jesse Schosek
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y. 14111
Screen Name: Diane NC
That Old House
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My gramma's house is old. The house is white with a big garage. The house is two stories high. Inside it is a clean blue rug in the T.V. room. The kitchen has a cutting table that is pretty old. The upstairs is one big room with three beds. There is also an antique dolhouse. There are closets that have very slanted ceilings where my gramma keeps lots of stuff. There are two more bedrooms downstairs. The room that contains the stairs to the second floor is a bedroom. The room across the hall is a bedroom too. In the middle of the bedrooms is a bathroom. Next to the kitchen is the room my gramma usually reads in. Next to that room is a small hallway to another entrance. I have lots of fond memories of that old house.
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Andrew Frano
North Collin Elementary
NC.NY 14111
Screen:Diane NC
That Old House
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The old house that I'm writing about is the house that I live in. It was built in 1961. It is 34 years old, but it looks new because my dad has done alot of remodeling.
My dad grew up in this house and now I'm growing up in it too. It is very special to me. When I was little my grandma lived in this house too. We always had family get togethers and still do. I have lots of good memories of happy times with my grandma in this house. I remember when I went to go visit her she was always cooking something. I don't know what she was cooking because I was so little. I wish she was still alive I miss her alot.
==================================================================Becky Czekalski
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,New York 14111
Screen name:Diane NC
That Old House
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My house is almost 100 years old! It has dressers in the back of some of the closets. I used to play on those dressers alot. I kept some of my toys in the drawers. They were fun to play on.
The front of my house is green and white. It is round. The front porch is very big. We keep the shared toys on the front porch. In summer the front porch is hot. In winter it is too cold.
I like this house because I have lived in it for about 5 years. My house has radiators instead of fireplaces. I like to sit on the radiators in the winter.
I like the room I sleep in because it is always the right temperature. My room is big, too. I share a room with Jennifer, Megan, and Jody.
That is my old house!
==================================================================Brandy Kuehn
North Collins Elemntary
North Collins, New York 14111
Screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================Part of my house used to be an Auto Parts store. If you walk into the part that used to be a store, you would probably think that that part of the house was just part of the house.
We have a dog. He stays in the kitchen and dining room because he is only a puppy. In the dining room, we have a table with about 7 chairs. We have a counter in the dining room along with a closet that we keep food in. In the kitchen, we have a sliding stove that opens when you have to cook. We have about 7 cupboards that are full of stuff. We have a counter that looks kind of like a bar. In our livingroom we have two couches and a chair. We have a T.V. set with paintings of ducks and bears on the drawers for the little children.
We have a big field that we run around in and we also play catch with my brother's football. We also have a problem. During the summer, we have big fat spiders that come into my house.
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Charlene Eder
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,N.Y. 14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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In the early 1900's there was a big farm house built. There was no running water, just a pitcher pump in the kitchen. The only source of heat was a big round stove, called a pot belly stove. There wasn't a cement foundation. There was a field stone foundation.
Then in 1953 my grandparents moved in with their one year old son. Then over the years they had three more sons. Then in about 1960 they got running water and remodeled the basement. Then in the 1970 they put an addition on the back. After they finished the addition they put shutters and flower boxes on the windows.I love that house. It is where we spend every Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving together. The thing I like the most is the front porch where my grandma always read to me when I was little. My grandparents moved to Florida but my uncle still lives there. The house is about 75 years old.
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Deanna Clark
North Collins Elementary
North Collins New York 14111
Screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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I know of an old house that you would like to hear about .It was 136 years old it was my granparents house. Almost four years ago it burned down. Now there are trailers down there. I really loved that house. I felt like my life was over when it went. I liked that house because it had a stream by it.
Across the street there is a little store I forgot what the name of it is, but when I find out I will tell you.
My Grandma lives on the reservation. My dad built a little house for my mom, himself and me. After a while we put all my grandmothers stuff in there.
After my grandmother died my aunt moved in a trailer and from now on my aunt lives down there.
In the way back there are a whole bunch of cars that are not in use, and that's when my grandmother died.
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Dustin Francis
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,N.Y.14111
screen name:N.C. Eagles
That Old House
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That old house is 172 years old! It has a inside porch, that wraps around the front part of the house. It is so old the nails are square. The house has 2 stories, with small windows. It has a kitchen that the family there is remodeling. The house is by 2 barns, one of the barns is red and the other one is a glossy silver.
This house was built in 1823! It was probably built by settlers! The house is by a cornfield so the family probably grows crops, which the family cut down and stored for the winter or sold the corn.This house is not mine, it is my friend's house. This house is special to me because it is old mostly, and it is fun to be around.
==================================================================Dustin Jimerson
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,New York 14111
Screen Name :Diane NC
That Old House
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There is a old house I want to tell you about. This old house is my grandparents. My grandparents lived across the street. My grandparents moved across the street as soon as the other people left.
The reason I am writing about this house is because this is where I spent most of my time as a baby and a little kid. I still spend alot of time there. I help my grandparents do things like coming to there field and helping them with hay for my great grandparents.
My grandparent's house is two stories. It is brown and yellow .Before my grandparents remodeled my grandmother had a green house attached to the back of the house. I never really liked to go in the green house. It was alaways very hot and muggy. My grandpa had a small workshop that he worked on his wooden toys in. After a while my grandfather needed more room so my grandma moved her things into the room. My grandfather moved all of his things into the bigger room.
Before my Uncle Brett went to the army I used to sleep on the couch or I would sleep on his bed if he was not there. The room my grandmother moved into is her sewing room.
One thing I will probably never forget is my Grandmother's dog. I was about four years old. The dog's name is Fred. He was just a puppy. I always used to give him a biscuit. He loved them. I taught him to sit and give me his paw to shake. Sadly, he died.
A thing I still really like is the smell of the wood burning. I like to sit there and watch a movie or play. I really like that old house.
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James Wallace
North Collins Elementary
NC, Ny 14111
Screen Name: Diane NC
That Old House
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I live in an old house. It is about 50 years old. Lots of people lived in it before us. I only remeber one. She was a lady who loved cats. She kept them inside. They went to the bathroom on the floor and shedded. My mom is allergic to cats and cat fur, so... When my dad and mom moved in, they had a mess to clean up!
Now they have cleaned up the place. My house is white with green shutters and a red brick porch. I remember that my sister and I used to sit there with popcycles or ice cream looking for snakes or other things.
I used to play catch with my dad, but now he is too busy. I used to display my baseball cards in our clubhouse, hoping that someone would read the sign I had put up, saying :Baseball Cards For Sale! No one ever came, of course. I used to catch frogs with my sister in our pond. There was a really huge one that was over half of a foot long! I have had fun going to my Little League baseball games. I love our old house.
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Jason Wittmeyer
North Collins Elementary
North Collins., N.Y.
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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This house is about 37 years old. It has a barn with it. Three people live in the house. It is almost older than my mom and dad. It is next door to my house. My parents were born in 1954. The barn was built in 1958. The barn has not been used for about 7 years. The people that live there now have:1 bull, 2 dogs, 2 sheep, 3 cats, and fish. The inside has been remodled. Its bigger than my house. I like the barn because I like the hay mow.
================================================================= Jason Berg
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y. 14111
Screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================My house is about 12 years old. It looks new because, we remodled it. It has blue siding, a lot of window's, and a garage. The house has a basement. In the basement there is a storage, and play rooom.
I have a dog. It's name is Josh. I have a twin brother, and two sisters. My brother's name is Justin. My two sisters names are Rachele, and Kelly.
My favorite place is my room. I like my room because I have a lot fun there. I do my models in there. I love my room!
That is the best one of all!!!!!!
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Miss Lisa Roberts
North Collins Elementary School
North Collins, NY 14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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From diapers to date, my home has played such a beautiful part of my life. It was built in 1972, shortly after the birth of the ytoungest member of my family - me. My grandfsather, a contractor, set up the bluepirnts of not only the house I was to live in, but a home to be loved in.
My parents, two city folk, loved the country and decided this was where they wanted to spend their lives together. So, out into the tiny town of North Collins, New York, they set up their 22 acres of land. They flattend the ground that would lead to the big wooden door that opened up into the lives of our family.
As a small child, my house looked like a mansion. A concrete pad led to a house with a two car garage, with a red brick front and white wood siding, accompanied by black shutters. Each brick that is a foundation to our home was individually washed and scrubbed by the father's own two hands. The bricks came from a demolished building in Buffalo, NY. The house was then constructed by my grandfather and his building crew.
My house is a long, one level, with a full attic, which houses my mom's junk and a basement for my dad's. In between these two storage areas, lies the section of the house that - oh, if only the walls could tell stories. I have lived here for 22 years and how much it has changed now that I look back. The changes included everything from color to additions to accumulation. The rooms that I once felt were as big as a gymnasium, today seem like a little more than closet space. Speaking of closet space, my bedroom, once viewed as room for a princess, has shrunk drastically, not physically, but definately spae-wise. Not only have I grown, but so has the clutter that makes our house a home.
If the walls could retell the memories, I would hope they would speak of my fondest memories. The evenings we would spend in the winter months, huddled in the living room around a roaring fire. My mom sat on the big pillows in front of the fire correcting papers, while my dad sat in his big lazyboy chair and I on his lap. Of course, the memory must include me reading my favorite story book called Serendipity to my daddy. What a warm memory! The chair has since been replaced by a more modern chair and the room color has changed. We have all grown older, as well as our house, but our memories are there to stay.
Granted, my house is not very old, but neither am I. This house is the only house I am really connected with. It is where so many memories have been made, with many more to come. So much has changed and will continue to change. The years will pass, the house will age, but the memories of my house will never fade. As the old saying goes, a house is made of brick and stone but a home is made of love alone.
==================================================================Jesse Schosek
North Collins Elementary
NC.,N.Y. 14111
Screen Name: Diane NC
That Old House
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My house is over 1 century old! In 1838 a girl named Amy and her family lived in my house. One day there was a fire. Amy`s family got out, but Amy didn`t. My huge kitchen used to be Amy`s barn. What is spooky is that in our dirt basement my dad and I found some bones of animals that didn`t get out of the fire! There is a big pile of hardened dirt that we didn`t search yet though. Spooky enough for you?
I`ve lived in my house for 8 years. When my family bought our house part of it was burned down. When we got this house there was a woodburning fireplace, but it used to be a gas one
I sleep in the one room that is still not done, but all it needs is paint. I am not sure what color yet. The room I sleep in has no door, but I cover it up with a blue sheet.
My big kitchen has a huge beam that holds it up. I like my house because I have grown used to it. That's all!
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Lyndsy Kron
North Collins Elementary
North Collins N.Y. 14111
Screen Name:Diane NC
That Old House
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There is this one old house. It is at the end of the street. My grandpa lives in it. It is white and it is over 100 years old. It is my favoite house. It used to be my other grandfathers grandma and grandpa's house. There are lots of stories about that house. Like the one about how they got robbed. Oh, you would like to hear the story?
Well, my grandpa told me this story. It started with my grandpa and great great grandma. My great great grandpa is already dead in this story. Well my grandpa started with telling me that him and my great great grandma were home alone. My grandpa was in the room right by the basement door. He went to bed, in the middle of the night he woke up and all he could hear was his grandma snoring. Then he heard this creeking noise and a door opened. He heard foot steps go down the basement stairs, then come back up. He heard the door open that lead to the basement witch was right by his door. He heard the foot steps go into his grandma's room then leave. In the morning that was all that he could think of. His grandma was a very giving person so he figured that someone stole some money to buy some beer down at the bar.
The house was also a store at one time. That is the best house of all.
================================================================== Mallory Williams
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y.14111
screen name : Diane NC
That Old House
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I live in an old house. It is 40 years old. It is green with black trim. It has a big back yard and a creek. In the back yard there is a big pine tree that I like to climb. It also has an apple tree. We have a garden and two sheds.
My house is nice. It is not big, but it isn't small. It's one floor and has a basement. It has a kitchen, a big living room, 1 bathroom, 3 bedrooms and an attic. In the basement we have a woodburning stove. It is nice to have, because during the winter our house gets cold. My house is perfect for my family.
When we first moved into our house, it was Aug. 1, 1992. We had to paint all the rooms, and move all our things in. The man that lived in the house before us left some of his things. It was fun to find some of his things. He left his dryer, a table and some tools.
Also in the house there is a special place I go. It is in the basement. Against 1 wall is a big piece of plywood. My dad helped me make a little house. It is wide, but not very tall. I like to go there and think if I have a problem or just to be alone. It"s my favorate place.
We have lived in our house for 3 years. This summer will be 4 years. I love my house and hope to live there for many more years.
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Mariana Worczak
North Collins Elm.
North Collins, NY 14111
Screen Name:Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================I know of an old house. I always like to go there. It is my aunts. It use to be a farm. Wich is not used anymore. The house is made of stone and wood.
I go there just a little bit, but it is so munch fun! The house is big. I like it even more than gold.
I like the reading tree. Wich is a very wide tree with steps going to the middle. It is the perfect place to read! My little brother could climb it.
The area was one of the major stop of Under Ground Railroad. In many houses there were secret tunnels found.
I think it is special because it is old!!!
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Melissa Quiter
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,N.Y.14111
Screen Name:Diane NC
That Old House
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I live in an old house. It is about 50 years old. We have been living there for 6 years now. When I moved in, I was 4 years old. In the living room there is a big wood stove. When I moved in, that was the place where I was not allowed to go. My mom said, "That's hot!"
My house is red and kinda big. Before I moved in it used to be a Rodden Gun Club. It was called North Collins Rodden Gun Club. My parents said,'' that my room was the bar.''
I also have a big woods and a field. In the woods there is a creek. I go fishing there, in the spring and summer. In the field there is big spotlights. I guess they are for shooters, when they shoot at night. We like our house and we plan on living there for many more years. About 10 more years.
==================================================================Pam Geiger
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y. 14111
screen name : Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================The old house I chose is my Grandma's. It is a big house. It is green and white. It has 5 bedrooms, a kitchen, 2 and a half bathrooms, a living room, a dining room, an upstairs, a downstairs, and a basement. Also on the outside it has 2 garages, 2 barns , a swingset for the kids, a glider and a few grapefields.
The house has alot of good memories. I like the house because it is fun and exciting. I did alot in that house. I learned how to ride a 2 wheeler bike there, learned how to walk a little there, and I go to the house so much you could say I probably live there. So that's the house I love.
==================================================================Thomas Rivera
North Collins Elementary
North Collins N.Y.14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================There is an old house. It is my Grandma's. It is about 200 years old! There is a big well, but now it is filled with cement. About 40 years ago the well was destroyed! There was a big rock that fell in the well.
There was a old bathroom. Now it is my Grandpa's work room. There is an attic. A string hangs from a hook and if you pull the string stairs come down. On the far side of the attic there are square nails. Down in the basement there are tunnels! My Grandma said that they lead to a gun shack for the Civil War. Half of the tunnels are caved in. In the center of the floor is a hidden door, but now it's not hidden any more because it is my Grandma's canned food storage room. There are trees. They are over 200 years old! In the back of the woods is a man-made pond. It is big! There is so much history about this house. They might knock it down and build a new one. There is more stuff but that is all I know. That is all I know about my old house.
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North Collins Elementary School
North Collins, NY 14111
screen name: Diane NC
Mrs. Diane M. Manuel
That Old House
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I went home the other day to a magnificent old house. I lived there during the first decade of my life. Many times, I passed the house but never walked up the sidewalk to that massive old porch. Never since that January day when we moved a whole half a mile down the street. I had never even visited, until the other day. I had wanted so many time to walk up to the door and introduce myself as the little girl who lived here asking to visit my house. No, that was not something that adults did. Well, not until the other day.
I had done my homework. The tax assessors office informed me that the house was built in 1925. My students should understand that I did not live in the house then. My parents were children in another part of the country then. We came into the history of this house much later. A druggist built the house and then came The Great Depression. The druggist was rescued by a man named Philip who enabled the owner to keep his house for a while. Years later when it became too much of a burden, the house became the property of Philip, the insurance man, who watched over the young family who came to live there. I remember his visits as the man with a hat. My mother laughed at the memory. Yes, he always did wear a hat. She didn't remember the hat until I mentioned it. She remembered a lonely man who came to visit the little family. She recounted his kindness. More memories.
The present owner was most gracious, if not a little curious at this person who was so overwhelmed at the opportunity to peak at the past. My mother had told me about the old archway into the dining room that was near the fireplace. What fireplace? I searched my memory and could only find vague scraps. "Was it marble?" I asked her. "Oh, no, the mantle was wooden." Funny how memories are, I thought, as I stroked the marble of the fireplace trying to bring back the hidden memories. The mantle was wooden. I was too short to have met the wooden part.
As I walked through the memories, I thought about the place where I played with my doll house. This was the closet where it lived when I wasn't the mistress of its room and furniture. That old doll house. It was as special as the old house itself.
I was surprised as the size of this place. I wasn't as big as I remembered. The spacious breakfast room where we ate only had three windows. The bench with the doors that lifted up were small. I sat there hugging my memories trying to bring the past into clearer focus. I laughed as I remembered Clint Buelhman, the morning radio personality. That's where he lived I thought as I looked at the shelf over the ancient radiator. It seemed that Clint's radio residence was on such a tall shelf.
The massive stone porch was the scene of many monopoly games that spanned days, or was it long afternoons of many games? I touched its massive stones. I went out back to see where the bridge that spanned the little creek had been. I remember watching my dad build that bridge. It had been washed out several storms ago. As I stood there on the bank of the creek I remembered the gate that protected us from its steep slope. The concrete step was all that remained. There was nothing but fallen branches and brush covering the wonderful Land-Across-the-Creek. It had been the scene of picnics and fun. I wondered if this was what my parents looked at when they first stood on the creek and looked toward the future.
Yes, the little girl came home for a visit. I wondered why those memories were so clear as they telegraph themselves across the decades. Why was it that I wanted for so many years to revisit that old house? I thought about how yesterday and today's memories become a fog elbowing each other through schedules, classes, children and responsibilities. No small wonder that some of today and yesterday are lost. When I was a child my old house didn't compete with other important things. That old house was my world. I was privileged to have a glimpse at that old house the other day.
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Fred Ring
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, New York 14111
Screen Name:Diane NC
That Old House
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My old house was the second house I have ever lived in . It was blue and very big because , someone lived upstairs from me . It had a very big yard , a swingset , a sandbox , a porch , and a basement with alot of neat things in it from the people that lived there before us . We also had a garage that we kept our things in . The people that lived upstairs from us had a camper that we slept in a few times . I have two brothers , their names are , Jacob and Jason .
Both of my grandmas lived down the street from me . Their names are, Grandma Simmons and Grandma Kibler . They are 76 and 46 . We had three dogs, their names were, Splinter, Fred and Puppy Dog.
In the winter, we built a huge snowman, then we whipped snowballs at it!
Angela Mecca
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, NY 14111
screen name:DianeNC
That Old House
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This story is about a very old house that my family has lived in since 1932. My grandfather moved into this house when he was14 years old. He lived here with his nine brothers and sisters, his parents, and his grandparents. My father also grew up in this house with his brother and sisters, his parents, and his grandparents. Now I am growing up in this same old house with my brother, my parents, and my grandparents. This is three generations of Meccas living in this house.
Before my grandfather moved in, some people by the name of Smith lived here. The house is about one hundred fifty years old.
My house is so big that there were many unexplored parts of it. When I started doing research for this essay, I discovered some trap doors. In my room, I found one trap door and inside I found my Uncle Jim's old diary from when he was ten years old. He is now 28. In the diary I found many untold secrets from my uncle's childhood. On another search through the house I found an old journal from 1944. It is a record of all farm expenses and income. It is surprising to look and see how much prices have changed
throughout the years. For example, calves cost $4.50 each. Coal cost $39.38 for 6,300 pounds. Chicks cost $.13 each.
My grandfather has many interesting stories about some exciting events in his life on the farm. My favorite is the story of when my grandpa would go to bed with water on his bed stand and when he woke up in the morning the water was ice.
I liked working on this essay because I got to learn about my family and my house.
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Jeff Sappelt
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,NY 14111
Diane NC
That Old House
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I liked my old house because I found my first fort in the bushes. I also liked my old house because it was right by a golf course. I only went golfing once .It was fun. I also liked my old house because the school was big. The school also had a pool, tennis court, and a big gym. The thing I liked most was that there was a beach right next to my old house. I loved watching the boats go by real fast. The thing i didn't like about my old house was that the people next to me had a very mean dog. I also didn't like the pool at the school because I had a body board under me. My sister Marissa came up besides me, and grabbed the body board from under me. I couldn't swim so my mom jumped in got my sister, and then came back for me. That's why I don't like water. I liked the school because it had two playgrounds. One inside and one outside. I only got pushed off the inside playground once.I never got pushed off the outside playground.
That is the history of my old house.
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Suzanne Schmitz
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, NY 14111
Diane NC
That Old Barn
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My grandmother owns a farm. Who cares, right? Wrong. This is a special barn. For over 20 years, Grandma and Grandpa ran a dairy farm there. Now, no one runs it. My grandfather died about 16 years ago and all the barn is used for is hay storage in the hay mow upstairs. Still not a very interesting story, huh? Here's the neat part. This barn is not square or rectangular, it is ROUND. Well, actually it has 16 sides, but it looks round. It is a very big barn. As a matter of fact, my cousins and I ride our bikes inside of it. It is just like riding in a circle. A few years ago, Grandma had the whole barn reshingled.
The farm has MANY acres of land with it and on all of the property there are 6 buildings: a huge, two-story farmhouse, a two-car garage, one storage shanty where she keeps a big Ford tractor and other small machinery, a bike shanty where she still has my mom's, my aunt's, my uncle's, and her [my grandma's] old bikes. She also has little kid bikes that she bought for her grandchildren. Another building is an old outhouse where everyone went before they had running water inside, the barn of course, and one more shanty where she keeps old farm machinery. By the way, my grandma calls storage buildings "shanties".
The barn was built in 1901 by Charles Hager. Now, my grandma owns it but is thinking of selling it.
The barn is a member of the New York State Historical Society and is the only round barn in our county [Erie County]. There are only a few in the whole state of New York.
The barn is special to me for quite a few reasons. For one, I am proud because it is so popular and famous. People stop just to look and take pictures. For another, my cousins and I have done a lot of fun things in it. I love that old barn. I will always remember it and treasure it. Here is a picture of it from an old newspaper.
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Christina Bolya
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, NY 14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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That Old House
My grandmother's house is special to me because my mother grew up in it. The house is very old and drafty, but its in very good condition still. My grandparents bought it after they got married, and they still live in it now! My mother said that it feels so strange to go to that house for holidays and things.
There are only two bedrooms in it, but there is a large basement that has a rug, a piano, and a big bed.The basement also has a crib, two dressers, and two baskets full of toys. They have these things because sometimes my younger cousins from Virginia come up and visit. In the basement there is another room. This is where the washer and dryer are kept. Also in that room there are big boxes of things. Some boxes contain the antlers from deer. Others just contain food.
Upstairs there are two living rooms. In one of them there is a couch that folds into a bed. In the other one the couch doesn't.
The reason why there are so many beds is that sometimes my cousins from Virginia and my cousins from Tennesse come up to visit us.
It's fun when they all come up because there is alot of stuff to do and I hardly ever see them. That is why I like that house.
==================================================================Erin Hoffman
North Collins Elementary
North collins, N.Y. 14111
Screen name:Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================My Gramma's house is 46 years old. My Grampa built it. It has five bedrooms, one dining room, one living room, one playroom, one kitchen, and two bathrooms. There is a big yard surrounding it. It's white with flowers and bushes. It's special because my Gramma raised ten children in that house. It's very, big too. It has a swing set and a mill behind it. There is a field behind it too. It has a patio and a sidewalk. There are three apple trees and a couple pines. It has a shed and a tiny garage. My Gramma keeps pictures on the walls and some mirrors. She keeps her canned foods down in the basement. On the porch [ which is in the front ] are two pillars.
The house is on Sisson Highway. In the front of the yard is a big tree.[I don't know the tree.] The flowers in the front are roses. In the back was a pool, but she couldn't keep up with it.
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Kati Rivers
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, NY 14111
screen name:Diane NC
That Old House
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Obviously, I'm writing about an old house but I've only been living there for about 4-5 years. Even though I've been living there for a short amount of time I have found some pretty interesting things about it.
My property was made into two lots meaning my property was divided in half. In 1832 the property was first bought with no house on it. During that time a man who bought the property sold it in consideration of $1.00. I asked my dad why he sold it for only $1.00 and he said"because he was a nice guy". It wasn't until the late 1920's early 1930's that my house was finally built. When it was the house was remodeled 3 to 4 times. My family and I wish that we could see what our house was like when it was first built.
A decade (10 years) or so ago some person threw a bomb at my house! Hard to believe huh? It blew off part of the front and side of my house. If you could see which you can't the brick that got put on my house to repair it has more color than the older brick. The good thing is that I wasn't living there when it happened. It's a good thing too. The bad thing is that the man who was living there at that time, was sitting right where the bomb was thrown when it was thrown. To bad for him.
A man who used to live there said that there might be something hiding in the floor or the walls. My cousins searched through the whole house to try to find the so called "treasure". And you know, it's amazing that they didn't find anything because they looked for so long.
My house is special to me because it's my place to live and I know that when I go home I know my family will be there.
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Arlie Rinaldi
North Collins Elementary
North Collins NY, 14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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My grandma lives at 2078 Sherman Ave.. The house was built in 1840 and was owned by the Sherman family. The street was named after the Sherman family. Also the building at the corner of Brant Street and Main Street is called the Sherman building. This shows that the Sherman family was important in North Collins. Edna Sherman married Franklin Kelley and she operated a gift shop on the second floor of the house called the Green Lantern Gift Shop. Mrs. Kelley died and Mr. Kelley became depressed and started hiding money around the house. He started to throw things from the gift shop in the backyard.
My grandma bought the house in 1970. When my mom, my grandma and my mom's sister went to look at the house my mom still remembers: a top hat and a cane and white dress gloves that come up to your elbows which were so small my mom could only fit three fingers in. There was an iron chandelier hanging in the dining room that was so heavy it was pulling down the beams. There was a porcelain doll upstairs in the attic and a Tiffany lamp along with many other antiques. My grandma still has the original stained glass door. Once a man stopped and offered money for it. She still has the original stove and it still works, same with the sink. The parlor is twenty-five feet across, the dining room and the parlor have windows that open and close like French doors and are ten feet tall. In the hall there is a ten foot tall mirror with a marble base. After twenty-five years my grandma is still working on the house and sometimes we find little glass objects from the gift shop buried in the backyard. Most parties and holidays are spent in her house and it will be sad if she ever moves out.
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Jacob Smith
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y 14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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My old house is a old restaurant. The basement is made of stone and cement. There is a coal shout in the left corner for the basement. The stove is not in use write now. There is also a little room in the right corner of the basement which nobody knows exactly what it was used for.
It is 3 story's high and is over 100 years old. The bottom floor is the first floor. The top floor is the second floor. The ball room the third floor. The building has a plaque that saws the building is 116 years old.
On the bottom floor there are pillars that are 11 feet tall. The pillars are 3 feet thick. There are 6 pillars in the one only one room. The pillars have been in the building since the building was built in 1878. The pillars are brown and white. The outside is white.
==================================================================Dianna Lomanto
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y. 14111
screen name : Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================Ever since my Mom & Dad had my two sisters and I, my parents have dreamed of getting an old house that we can restore and make our own. They also they also wanted to be able to remodel the house and see what it was made up of, and we did.
When we finally started to restore and or remodel our house. When we did we found a lot of neat stuff and old things.
Things that are hand made : nails, boards, and moldings. Another neat thing is that we have a mostly beam constructed house ; ( at first my house was just a summer cottage. )
This house was built in the late 1800`s in the village of North Collins, N.Y., not far from the red light. Near the town Library. My house was later moved.
My grandfather remembers when my house was moved, in 1927, by horses ; to Brant, New York, ( which is about 1/2 a mile down the road.
My family also thinks this house is very special, partly because ; with the little work we have accomplished, we have almost totally and completely restored and made this house bigger.
When we moved in and were starting to rebuild our home and we had to build-onto the foundation ; worrying if there was any quick-sand underneath. However, none was found.
At this time, we are putting on yet another addition. It is for ; a bigger kitchen, more space in the attic, my new room, and a new ( extra ) bathroom.
The outside of the addition was completed just before winter arrived in Brant. ( We are still building the inside. )
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Jesse Schosek
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y. 14111
Screen Name: Diane NC
That Old House
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My gramma's house is old. The house is white with a big garage. The house is two stories high. Inside it is a clean blue rug in the T.V. room. The kitchen has a cutting table that is pretty old. The upstairs is one big room with three beds. There is also an antique dolhouse. There are closets that have very slanted ceilings where my gramma keeps lots of stuff. There are two more bedrooms downstairs. The room that contains the stairs to the second floor is a bedroom. The room across the hall is a bedroom too. In the middle of the bedrooms is a bathroom. Next to the kitchen is the room my gramma usually reads in. Next to that room is a small hallway to another entrance. I have lots of fond memories of that old house.
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Andrew Frano
North Collin Elementary
NC.NY 14111
Screen:Diane NC
That Old House
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The old house that I'm writing about is the house that I live in. It was built in 1961. It is 34 years old, but it looks new because my dad has done alot of remodeling.
My dad grew up in this house and now I'm growing up in it too. It is very special to me. When I was little my grandma lived in this house too. We always had family get togethers and still do. I have lots of good memories of happy times with my grandma in this house. I remember when I went to go visit her she was always cooking something. I don't know what she was cooking because I was so little. I wish she was still alive I miss her alot.
==================================================================Becky Czekalski
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,New York 14111
Screen name:Diane NC
That Old House
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My house is almost 100 years old! It has dressers in the back of some of the closets. I used to play on those dressers alot. I kept some of my toys in the drawers. They were fun to play on.
The front of my house is green and white. It is round. The front porch is very big. We keep the shared toys on the front porch. In summer the front porch is hot. In winter it is too cold.
I like this house because I have lived in it for about 5 years. My house has radiators instead of fireplaces. I like to sit on the radiators in the winter.
I like the room I sleep in because it is always the right temperature. My room is big, too. I share a room with Jennifer, Megan, and Jody.
That is my old house!
==================================================================Brandy Kuehn
North Collins Elemntary
North Collins, New York 14111
Screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================Part of my house used to be an Auto Parts store. If you walk into the part that used to be a store, you would probably think that that part of the house was just part of the house.
We have a dog. He stays in the kitchen and dining room because he is only a puppy. In the dining room, we have a table with about 7 chairs. We have a counter in the dining room along with a closet that we keep food in. In the kitchen, we have a sliding stove that opens when you have to cook. We have about 7 cupboards that are full of stuff. We have a counter that looks kind of like a bar. In our livingroom we have two couches and a chair. We have a T.V. set with paintings of ducks and bears on the drawers for the little children.
We have a big field that we run around in and we also play catch with my brother's football. We also have a problem. During the summer, we have big fat spiders that come into my house.
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Charlene Eder
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,N.Y. 14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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In the early 1900's there was a big farm house built. There was no running water, just a pitcher pump in the kitchen. The only source of heat was a big round stove, called a pot belly stove. There wasn't a cement foundation. There was a field stone foundation.
Then in 1953 my grandparents moved in with their one year old son. Then over the years they had three more sons. Then in about 1960 they got running water and remodeled the basement. Then in the 1970 they put an addition on the back. After they finished the addition they put shutters and flower boxes on the windows.I love that house. It is where we spend every Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving together. The thing I like the most is the front porch where my grandma always read to me when I was little. My grandparents moved to Florida but my uncle still lives there. The house is about 75 years old.
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Deanna Clark
North Collins Elementary
North Collins New York 14111
Screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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I know of an old house that you would like to hear about .It was 136 years old it was my granparents house. Almost four years ago it burned down. Now there are trailers down there. I really loved that house. I felt like my life was over when it went. I liked that house because it had a stream by it.
Across the street there is a little store I forgot what the name of it is, but when I find out I will tell you.
My Grandma lives on the reservation. My dad built a little house for my mom, himself and me. After a while we put all my grandmothers stuff in there.
After my grandmother died my aunt moved in a trailer and from now on my aunt lives down there.
In the way back there are a whole bunch of cars that are not in use, and that's when my grandmother died.
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Dustin Francis
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,N.Y.14111
screen name:N.C. Eagles
That Old House
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That old house is 172 years old! It has a inside porch, that wraps around the front part of the house. It is so old the nails are square. The house has 2 stories, with small windows. It has a kitchen that the family there is remodeling. The house is by 2 barns, one of the barns is red and the other one is a glossy silver.
This house was built in 1823! It was probably built by settlers! The house is by a cornfield so the family probably grows crops, which the family cut down and stored for the winter or sold the corn.This house is not mine, it is my friend's house. This house is special to me because it is old mostly, and it is fun to be around.
==================================================================Dustin Jimerson
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,New York 14111
Screen Name :Diane NC
That Old House
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There is a old house I want to tell you about. This old house is my grandparents. My grandparents lived across the street. My grandparents moved across the street as soon as the other people left.
The reason I am writing about this house is because this is where I spent most of my time as a baby and a little kid. I still spend alot of time there. I help my grandparents do things like coming to there field and helping them with hay for my great grandparents.
My grandparent's house is two stories. It is brown and yellow .Before my grandparents remodeled my grandmother had a green house attached to the back of the house. I never really liked to go in the green house. It was alaways very hot and muggy. My grandpa had a small workshop that he worked on his wooden toys in. After a while my grandfather needed more room so my grandma moved her things into the room. My grandfather moved all of his things into the bigger room.
Before my Uncle Brett went to the army I used to sleep on the couch or I would sleep on his bed if he was not there. The room my grandmother moved into is her sewing room.
One thing I will probably never forget is my Grandmother's dog. I was about four years old. The dog's name is Fred. He was just a puppy. I always used to give him a biscuit. He loved them. I taught him to sit and give me his paw to shake. Sadly, he died.
A thing I still really like is the smell of the wood burning. I like to sit there and watch a movie or play. I really like that old house.
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James Wallace
North Collins Elementary
NC, Ny 14111
Screen Name: Diane NC
That Old House
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I live in an old house. It is about 50 years old. Lots of people lived in it before us. I only remeber one. She was a lady who loved cats. She kept them inside. They went to the bathroom on the floor and shedded. My mom is allergic to cats and cat fur, so... When my dad and mom moved in, they had a mess to clean up!
Now they have cleaned up the place. My house is white with green shutters and a red brick porch. I remember that my sister and I used to sit there with popcycles or ice cream looking for snakes or other things.
I used to play catch with my dad, but now he is too busy. I used to display my baseball cards in our clubhouse, hoping that someone would read the sign I had put up, saying :Baseball Cards For Sale! No one ever came, of course. I used to catch frogs with my sister in our pond. There was a really huge one that was over half of a foot long! I have had fun going to my Little League baseball games. I love our old house.
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Jason Wittmeyer
North Collins Elementary
North Collins., N.Y.
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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This house is about 37 years old. It has a barn with it. Three people live in the house. It is almost older than my mom and dad. It is next door to my house. My parents were born in 1954. The barn was built in 1958. The barn has not been used for about 7 years. The people that live there now have:1 bull, 2 dogs, 2 sheep, 3 cats, and fish. The inside has been remodled. Its bigger than my house. I like the barn because I like the hay mow.
================================================================= Jason Berg
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y. 14111
Screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================My house is about 12 years old. It looks new because, we remodled it. It has blue siding, a lot of window's, and a garage. The house has a basement. In the basement there is a storage, and play rooom.
I have a dog. It's name is Josh. I have a twin brother, and two sisters. My brother's name is Justin. My two sisters names are Rachele, and Kelly.
My favorite place is my room. I like my room because I have a lot fun there. I do my models in there. I love my room!
That is the best one of all!!!!!!
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Miss Lisa Roberts
North Collins Elementary School
North Collins, NY 14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
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From diapers to date, my home has played such a beautiful part of my life. It was built in 1972, shortly after the birth of the ytoungest member of my family - me. My grandfsather, a contractor, set up the bluepirnts of not only the house I was to live in, but a home to be loved in.
My parents, two city folk, loved the country and decided this was where they wanted to spend their lives together. So, out into the tiny town of North Collins, New York, they set up their 22 acres of land. They flattend the ground that would lead to the big wooden door that opened up into the lives of our family.
As a small child, my house looked like a mansion. A concrete pad led to a house with a two car garage, with a red brick front and white wood siding, accompanied by black shutters. Each brick that is a foundation to our home was individually washed and scrubbed by the father's own two hands. The bricks came from a demolished building in Buffalo, NY. The house was then constructed by my grandfather and his building crew.
My house is a long, one level, with a full attic, which houses my mom's junk and a basement for my dad's. In between these two storage areas, lies the section of the house that - oh, if only the walls could tell stories. I have lived here for 22 years and how much it has changed now that I look back. The changes included everything from color to additions to accumulation. The rooms that I once felt were as big as a gymnasium, today seem like a little more than closet space. Speaking of closet space, my bedroom, once viewed as room for a princess, has shrunk drastically, not physically, but definately spae-wise. Not only have I grown, but so has the clutter that makes our house a home.
If the walls could retell the memories, I would hope they would speak of my fondest memories. The evenings we would spend in the winter months, huddled in the living room around a roaring fire. My mom sat on the big pillows in front of the fire correcting papers, while my dad sat in his big lazyboy chair and I on his lap. Of course, the memory must include me reading my favorite story book called Serendipity to my daddy. What a warm memory! The chair has since been replaced by a more modern chair and the room color has changed. We have all grown older, as well as our house, but our memories are there to stay.
Granted, my house is not very old, but neither am I. This house is the only house I am really connected with. It is where so many memories have been made, with many more to come. So much has changed and will continue to change. The years will pass, the house will age, but the memories of my house will never fade. As the old saying goes, a house is made of brick and stone but a home is made of love alone.
==================================================================Jesse Schosek
North Collins Elementary
NC.,N.Y. 14111
Screen Name: Diane NC
That Old House
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My house is over 1 century old! In 1838 a girl named Amy and her family lived in my house. One day there was a fire. Amy`s family got out, but Amy didn`t. My huge kitchen used to be Amy`s barn. What is spooky is that in our dirt basement my dad and I found some bones of animals that didn`t get out of the fire! There is a big pile of hardened dirt that we didn`t search yet though. Spooky enough for you?
I`ve lived in my house for 8 years. When my family bought our house part of it was burned down. When we got this house there was a woodburning fireplace, but it used to be a gas one
I sleep in the one room that is still not done, but all it needs is paint. I am not sure what color yet. The room I sleep in has no door, but I cover it up with a blue sheet.
My big kitchen has a huge beam that holds it up. I like my house because I have grown used to it. That's all!
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Lyndsy Kron
North Collins Elementary
North Collins N.Y. 14111
Screen Name:Diane NC
That Old House
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There is this one old house. It is at the end of the street. My grandpa lives in it. It is white and it is over 100 years old. It is my favoite house. It used to be my other grandfathers grandma and grandpa's house. There are lots of stories about that house. Like the one about how they got robbed. Oh, you would like to hear the story?
Well, my grandpa told me this story. It started with my grandpa and great great grandma. My great great grandpa is already dead in this story. Well my grandpa started with telling me that him and my great great grandma were home alone. My grandpa was in the room right by the basement door. He went to bed, in the middle of the night he woke up and all he could hear was his grandma snoring. Then he heard this creeking noise and a door opened. He heard foot steps go down the basement stairs, then come back up. He heard the door open that lead to the basement witch was right by his door. He heard the foot steps go into his grandma's room then leave. In the morning that was all that he could think of. His grandma was a very giving person so he figured that someone stole some money to buy some beer down at the bar.
The house was also a store at one time. That is the best house of all.
================================================================== Mallory Williams
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y.14111
screen name : Diane NC
That Old House
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I live in an old house. It is 40 years old. It is green with black trim. It has a big back yard and a creek. In the back yard there is a big pine tree that I like to climb. It also has an apple tree. We have a garden and two sheds.
My house is nice. It is not big, but it isn't small. It's one floor and has a basement. It has a kitchen, a big living room, 1 bathroom, 3 bedrooms and an attic. In the basement we have a woodburning stove. It is nice to have, because during the winter our house gets cold. My house is perfect for my family.
When we first moved into our house, it was Aug. 1, 1992. We had to paint all the rooms, and move all our things in. The man that lived in the house before us left some of his things. It was fun to find some of his things. He left his dryer, a table and some tools.
Also in the house there is a special place I go. It is in the basement. Against 1 wall is a big piece of plywood. My dad helped me make a little house. It is wide, but not very tall. I like to go there and think if I have a problem or just to be alone. It"s my favorate place.
We have lived in our house for 3 years. This summer will be 4 years. I love my house and hope to live there for many more years.
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Mariana Worczak
North Collins Elm.
North Collins, NY 14111
Screen Name:Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================I know of an old house. I always like to go there. It is my aunts. It use to be a farm. Wich is not used anymore. The house is made of stone and wood.
I go there just a little bit, but it is so munch fun! The house is big. I like it even more than gold.
I like the reading tree. Wich is a very wide tree with steps going to the middle. It is the perfect place to read! My little brother could climb it.
The area was one of the major stop of Under Ground Railroad. In many houses there were secret tunnels found.
I think it is special because it is old!!!
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Melissa Quiter
North Collins Elementary
North Collins,N.Y.14111
Screen Name:Diane NC
That Old House
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I live in an old house. It is about 50 years old. We have been living there for 6 years now. When I moved in, I was 4 years old. In the living room there is a big wood stove. When I moved in, that was the place where I was not allowed to go. My mom said, "That's hot!"
My house is red and kinda big. Before I moved in it used to be a Rodden Gun Club. It was called North Collins Rodden Gun Club. My parents said,'' that my room was the bar.''
I also have a big woods and a field. In the woods there is a creek. I go fishing there, in the spring and summer. In the field there is big spotlights. I guess they are for shooters, when they shoot at night. We like our house and we plan on living there for many more years. About 10 more years.
==================================================================Pam Geiger
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, N.Y. 14111
screen name : Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================The old house I chose is my Grandma's. It is a big house. It is green and white. It has 5 bedrooms, a kitchen, 2 and a half bathrooms, a living room, a dining room, an upstairs, a downstairs, and a basement. Also on the outside it has 2 garages, 2 barns , a swingset for the kids, a glider and a few grapefields.
The house has alot of good memories. I like the house because it is fun and exciting. I did alot in that house. I learned how to ride a 2 wheeler bike there, learned how to walk a little there, and I go to the house so much you could say I probably live there. So that's the house I love.
==================================================================Thomas Rivera
North Collins Elementary
North Collins N.Y.14111
screen name: Diane NC
That Old House
==================================================================There is an old house. It is my Grandma's. It is about 200 years old! There is a big well, but now it is filled with cement. About 40 years ago the well was destroyed! There was a big rock that fell in the well.
There was a old bathroom. Now it is my Grandpa's work room. There is an attic. A string hangs from a hook and if you pull the string stairs come down. On the far side of the attic there are square nails. Down in the basement there are tunnels! My Grandma said that they lead to a gun shack for the Civil War. Half of the tunnels are caved in. In the center of the floor is a hidden door, but now it's not hidden any more because it is my Grandma's canned food storage room. There are trees. They are over 200 years old! In the back of the woods is a man-made pond. It is big! There is so much history about this house. They might knock it down and build a new one. There is more stuff but that is all I know. That is all I know about my old house.
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North Collins Elementary School
North Collins, NY 14111
screen name: Diane NC
Mrs. Diane M. Manuel
That Old House
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I went home the other day to a magnificent old house. I lived there during the first decade of my life. Many times, I passed the house but never walked up the sidewalk to that massive old porch. Never since that January day when we moved a whole half a mile down the street. I had never even visited, until the other day. I had wanted so many time to walk up to the door and introduce myself as the little girl who lived here asking to visit my house. No, that was not something that adults did. Well, not until the other day.
I had done my homework. The tax assessors office informed me that the house was built in 1925. My students should understand that I did not live in the house then. My parents were children in another part of the country then. We came into the history of this house much later. A druggist built the house and then came The Great Depression. The druggist was rescued by a man named Philip who enabled the owner to keep his house for a while. Years later when it became too much of a burden, the house became the property of Philip, the insurance man, who watched over the young family who came to live there. I remember his visits as the man with a hat. My mother laughed at the memory. Yes, he always did wear a hat. She didn't remember the hat until I mentioned it. She remembered a lonely man who came to visit the little family. She recounted his kindness. More memories.
The present owner was most gracious, if not a little curious at this person who was so overwhelmed at the opportunity to peak at the past. My mother had told me about the old archway into the dining room that was near the fireplace. What fireplace? I searched my memory and could only find vague scraps. "Was it marble?" I asked her. "Oh, no, the mantle was wooden." Funny how memories are, I thought, as I stroked the marble of the fireplace trying to bring back the hidden memories. The mantle was wooden. I was too short to have met the wooden part.
As I walked through the memories, I thought about the place where I played with my doll house. This was the closet where it lived when I wasn't the mistress of its room and furniture. That old doll house. It was as special as the old house itself.
I was surprised as the size of this place. I wasn't as big as I remembered. The spacious breakfast room where we ate only had three windows. The bench with the doors that lifted up were small. I sat there hugging my memories trying to bring the past into clearer focus. I laughed as I remembered Clint Buelhman, the morning radio personality. That's where he lived I thought as I looked at the shelf over the ancient radiator. It seemed that Clint's radio residence was on such a tall shelf.
The massive stone porch was the scene of many monopoly games that spanned days, or was it long afternoons of many games? I touched its massive stones. I went out back to see where the bridge that spanned the little creek had been. I remember watching my dad build that bridge. It had been washed out several storms ago. As I stood there on the bank of the creek I remembered the gate that protected us from its steep slope. The concrete step was all that remained. There was nothing but fallen branches and brush covering the wonderful Land-Across-the-Creek. It had been the scene of picnics and fun. I wondered if this was what my parents looked at when they first stood on the creek and looked toward the future.
Yes, the little girl came home for a visit. I wondered why those memories were so clear as they telegraph themselves across the decades. Why was it that I wanted for so many years to revisit that old house? I thought about how yesterday and today's memories become a fog elbowing each other through schedules, classes, children and responsibilities. No small wonder that some of today and yesterday are lost. When I was a child my old house didn't compete with other important things. That old house was my world. I was privileged to have a glimpse at that old house the other day.
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Fred Ring
North Collins Elementary
North Collins, New York 14111
Screen Name:Diane NC
That Old House
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My old house was the second house I have ever lived in . It was blue and very big because , someone lived upstairs from me . It had a very big yard , a swingset , a sandbox , a porch , and a basement with alot of neat things in it from the people that lived there before us . We also had a garage that we kept our things in . The people that lived upstairs from us had a camper that we slept in a few times . I have two brothers , their names are , Jacob and Jason .
Both of my grandmas lived down the street from me . Their names are, Grandma Simmons and Grandma Kibler . They are 76 and 46 . We had three dogs, their names were, Splinter, Fred and Puppy Dog.
In the winter, we built a huge snowman, then we whipped snowballs at it!
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