The Written History
Find articles by Orland French and others who poke around in the business of preserving history on paper, on film, and on-site.

Old Hay Bay Church click HERE

How To Build A House

Step by Step Construction of Our New House in Belleville

We're making history. Our house is an infill projectbuilt on a lot hived off an historic property in the city's historic East Hill. The house is still under construction with a target finishing date of mid-April, 2015. Photos by Orland and Sylvia French of Wallbridge House Publishing. House by Jamie Moore and Moore Craft Construction.

Close fit

Close fit

Good workmanship is shown here as the last board on the deck has been close-fit to the rough rocky finish of the wall
Close fit
Front deck

Front deck

When the decking was finished, this was the view of our front veranda. But it still needed a railing
Front deck
Potbelly ballisters

Potbelly ballisters

Our new home was built in an older section of our city. Several houses in the neighbourhood featured "potbelly" ballusters in their veranda railings. Our contractor likes working with wood so he created these ballusters for us. WARNING: Be careful of using anything that isn't in the modern building code. The city inspector said these didn't meet code and ordered the builder to get an engineering report. They meet code.
Potbelly ballisters
House at night

House at night

We have plenty of lights outside and inside our house. The back of the house features two automatic security lights with motion sensors.
House at night
Cable line

Cable line

Although our house was an infill project, there were no phone or cable lines on our block. Both phone and cable services had to be strung through the trees on an adjacent lot temporarily. Eventually they will be provided by buried cable.
Cable line
First party

First party

Almost six months to the day, our friends helped us celebrate the opening of our house. The back deck table was located almost exactly over the huge stump which had provided our launch table six months earlier. (See page one for first party.)
First party
First barbecue

First barbecue

Pleased as a potbelly railing, I have served up our first barbecue dinner at our new house.
First barbecue