A Treasure in Plain Sight

One of only two rooms downstairs to finish. This was used as a bedroom, but first we need to begin at the beginning. Furniture moved out, cupboards emptied... but wait!

Built in cabinets on both sides of the fireplace, in what shall become our salon, were emptied. Along with decades of books, Christmas decorations we spotted this solid oak box.  Measuring about 18 x 18 inches square with one latch we opened it cautiously. We spent the next 2 hours trying to comprehend what we had discovered

Unlikely cornucopia! Inside we found a treasure trove of correspondence, some dating back nearly 4 centuries.

Where to begin?

The contents just as they were placed in the box.

Documents and letters were unfolded, carefully dusted and, stacked according to type. Personal letters, documents from local or country officials were the majority of correspondance.

Yes, you are reading that date correctly, 5 Juin 1654!!

Some letters did not fare as well as others, this one is split on the fold line and the embossed seal has folded edges.

The paper is large, about 60cm x 30cm. Then folded to create a "book", pages were stitched with course linen thread.

Linen threads, hand tied held the pages in place.

The official documents were folded in thirds and tied with a ribbon as a means of organizing.

This letter, dated 1775 has an additional stamp of someone appointed by the King, hence the word Roi (royal).

All the documents are on handmade paper of a high quality and handwritten. Many with official stamps from whomever was the King at the time.

The elegant penmanship is stunning. The correspondance of the earlier (1600s - 1700s) are difficult to tranaslate as old French was used so the early letters need to be translated. The language was standarized between 1789 and 1918.

A special treasure was finding letters written by Octave Dargeles to his brother Joseph who stayed in Montegut. This is an early letter, dated 1890 just 2 years after emigrating to California.

Hand drawn map of the Dargeles farm in Montegut, outlined in blue pen.

 A young Octave Jules Dargeles on  his wedding day, looking prosperous. This photo was included in one on his letters sent to his family in Montegut.

Letters from California to Montegut.

Sent from Bordeaux where the young Dargeles brothers, Octave and Jean Marie boarded a steam ship bound for New Orleans in 1885.

We continue to feel blessed from the results of a short simple letter addressed to:

 DARGELES

Carruthers, California

U.S.A.

Sent in 2001 by a cousin living near Montegut searching for the long lost family who left France in 1885.

And if you have, thanks for reading

Au revoir

Linda

La cuisine est finie!

What a joy it was to work toward the final finish of our kitchen. As with the other rooms we've renovated over the years, our target was a functional and purposefully designed room.

We are thrilled to have found a local carpenter who was able to work within our time frame. Thanks to a cousin who lives nearby, the windows were fitted during our absence in 2018. We received photos after the installation. Seeing both the window and the door in person made for a happy return.

The only window in the kitchen is on the north-west wall. It was smallish and replaced with an oak framed double-pane glass. The exterior was painted for protection from the changing weather. All the other windows will be replaced, and the exterior trim color will match.

The kitchen garden door brings much-needed light into the kitchen. It is situated directly under the "Juliet balcony" of the guest room.

The Boston Ivy or Virginia Creeper was planted years ago and continues to grow hardily to cover the entire wall. A small area on the front wall is slowly being covered, and we celebrate the new growth when we return. The Virginia Creeper sends out runners that cling to the surface and absorb moisture. This trailing plant does not wedge into cracks or soft spots.

 
A glance back to the original kitchen garden door. We changed the location of the hinges to open on the opposite side.

Several years ago, we found oak cupboard doors at a local Vide Grenier. This translates to "empty the attic." I finally got around to dusting them off and taking a photo just before the carpenter loaded them into his van for restoration.

The stain was very old and very dark, not to mention very dirty.  Le Charpentier tested the finish and checked the strength of ancient construction. He removed the hinges and pulls from the doors, the old brass pulls would be reused, but new hinges would be installed.

 Luckily the stain could easily be removed, and to keep costs down, I volunteered to strip the stain from the outside frame of each door. After 3 separate applications of the paint/stain stripper, the results were encouraging.

Only 13 more frames to go.  As the temperature rises, the paint stripper works faster, but getting this job finished is the priority!

Cabinets, both upper and lower units, were installed in our absence. The frequent question has been, "weren't you anxious to have this all down without being present"? We both felt the carpenter was so skilled and intuitive with our vision we were very comfortable. He was always the consummate artisan. We viewed his previous work in the area, we visited his home and family and his workshop. He and his lovely wife easily became friends as well.

Both the plumber and electrician spent a few days working to add the necessary elements to make the space functionally perfect.

The next hurdle was choosing material for the countertops. I wanted a solid surface that was heavy-duty, as in all likelihood will be in place for several decades. Every recommendation was the same, a local company at the base of the Pyrennes and only 45 minutes from Montegut. 

Less than a week after reserving the granite slab, the company owner arrived with his computer/tripod and laser! Measurements were taken every 5 centimeters to ensure a perfect fit. Less than an hour later, he was packed up and gone.

 

 

Measured, trimmed to fit perfectly. No problems, not a single one! They fit the faucet and sink. All the surfaces were cleaned and polished, even to my mother's exact standards!

With help from a few friends, the appliances from the upstairs kitchen are in place, and the dishwasher is installed!

There is not a thing we would change. The kitchen reflects our wish to create a functional and modest space.  It works perfectly for us and, hopefully, for many generations who come to Montegut.

And if you have, thanks for reading.

Au Revoir

Kitchen doorway

The doorway from the dining room into the kitchen was entirely too low for anyone of average height. It would need to be raised by at least 6 inches.

When the house was built, the door frames were made from solid oak hardwood, two upright side posts, and an arched header across the top fitted by mortise and tenon.  The bottom of each pillar was initially buried in the dirt. Although now, those bases were rotted and needed replacing before we went much further.

The dining room has an enormous fireplace next to the carved Soapstone counter and a small sink on the east wall. The family's meals were cooked in the fireplace. It was in use until a modern kitchen with running water was added across the back of the house, perhaps Mid-Century. The doorway was constructed through the north exterior wall, which was fully 1 meter deep.

There is a tell-tale sign of the original arch's slight curve. Look closely to see the stacked tile edges in the corners. Long nails were pounded into the oak and then bent to create a surface that held the plaster in place for several decades.

The frame was exposed to reveal the underlying structure. How much of the header to remove and still maintain the wall/ceiling's integrity became the primary concern.

Here Barry measures how much of the side pillar must be replaced. About 1/3 of that side was merely non-existent! The right side faired only slightly better.

Initial vertical cuts on both sides were carefully calculated... slow and steady... cutting more is always an option. But UN cutting was not!

Crafting an arch into the doorframe rather than a straight horizontal top would allow safer passage without compromising the entire doorway.

The first cut is on the conservative side. Cutting out a flatter curve allowed us to create the perfect arch. 

The second cut is perfect!

Now the kitchen side of the doorway ceiling has to be raised! The ceiling portion of this doorway space might be a game-changer.

Lots of exploring and advance planning. At one time, this area had been an exterior wall, so it had been built for strength rather than beauty. The void after all the loose stones and cement fell out was about 14-15 inches deep!

Bits of the remaining rubble that hadn't fallen out had to be removed, but the structure still needed to be braced while the deep voids were filled. Those areas were reinforced beginning from each side then rebuilding slowly toward the middle.

Each layer needed time to dry, so we used a Tunnel Jack or Screw Jack and a few wood pieces to hold the rock and cement in place while it dried.

Now, filling the empty spaces could begin, and we worked from the sides toward the center. The large gap was reinforced and filled with stones and cement, then allowed to cure or dry.  After about four days, the cement was thoroughly dry, and the ceiling seemed to be stable now; it was time to remove the jack!

This view is from the kitchen into the dining room.

This photo shows one of the mortar and tenon joints near the top of the side. The newly rebuilt door frame and the ceiling were ready for plaster. During the summer months, the weather is hot, so the plaster will dry quickly.

No more head bumps walking into the kitchen. But that kitchen... oh, my! Stay tuned for perhaps the most significant renovation so far!