Untitled (4)A LITTLE PAINT, applied by Barry Knittle, transforms an old
bathtub into a planter.
New Life Comes
To An Old House
By CAROL TRAPANI
The house, in its prime, must have
been very grand.
The floorboards are this wide, and
you don't find such big windows
anymore, or so many hand-hewn
beams, or fireplaces in nearly every
room.
But then, the large family that
must have lived there, loved there,
played there and grew there, left
there. And the house — well, it was
forgotten.
Its paint started to peel and no -
body lit any fires in the fireplaces.
The kitchen was without bustle and
no Christmas tree was put up and
nobody sat around what must have
been a very fine table in the dining
room. "
Until about two months ago.
Now the big white house right on
Route 913 in Hughsonville must be
groaning with delight — there are so
many people in it now.
A group of people, about 30 strong,
have decided that the big white house
would make a nice place to sell
crafts.
"Many of us have been making a
living selling crafts," said Emilio
Rodriguez who admits to being the
co-op coordinator. He explained that
when they tried to sell their crafts in
stores, the mark-up would be about
100 per cent.
"Here, it's not," he said. And that's
a boon not only to the craftsmen, but
to the crafts -hunting consumer, too.
The Easter Roaders (the group got
its name because about 10 members
all live along Easter Road in Chel-
sea) rent the house from the owner,
who liked the idea of a crafts coop so
much that he too decided to join.
Dilapidated wasn't the word for the
house when the Easter Roaders first
started work on it. The walls were
cracked, the ceilings falling down,
windows were broken, and "it was
full of junk," said Emilio. "Very
depressing."
Now, the first floor is done. The
floor is painted blue and the walls off-
white.
There are hand -hooked rugs, pot-
tery (big jugs for the floor little, bity
cups), belts, baby quilts, handmade
dresses, children's toys and a doll,
candles, and sundry other things.
Five or six potters, at least two
weavers and a candlemaker, plus
other crafts, are represented in the
co-op, which _is open, Mika Seeger
stressed, to any craftsmen. They
would like to acquire a silversmith,
glass blower and jeweler. Members'
ages now run from 21 to 68.
Today, from 2 to 8 o'clock, the Co-
op is having its formal opening. Two
of the members will make home-
made ice cream and "Sweet Medi-
cine" will play. Daily the shop and
gallery will be open Friday through
Monday from 2 to 8 p.m.
Looks like the old house is alive
again.
EASTER ROADERS shown here are, left, Susan Relyea,
Connie Knittle, and Emilio Rodriguez.
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DOLL; keeps Madeline Howard, 7, company while the grown-ups work.