Building Our First Home
My family called our home by the prentious title “Cedar Hall” because we all enjoyed the stories of “Mr Toad of Toad Hall” in “The Wind in the Willows,” and because, like him, the kids and I enjoyed driving in the town and country in our little red sports car. Of course, the house was, as you will see, constructed of solid timbers, bought as a package from George Justus, owner of “Solid Cedar Homes,” in Tacoma Washington. I modified the original design so that it looked less like a Swiss Chalet and more appropriate for New England.
How Could I Afford to Do This? Was I rich ? Not at all.
Here’s the story, if you’re interested. (NAY)
Dedicatory Poem: burned in the wood mantle above the living room fireplace
And needed helps of friends.
Memento be, a friendship house,
Past days when friendships end.
The Site: At the Guilford Lakes, near New Haven, Connecticut
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH04siteView4.jpg)
The Foundation:
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH06foundation.jpg)
Basement Walls:
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH08foundation.jpg)
Pillars and Beam for a porch:
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH09foundation.jpg)
Drains: within basement, east end
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH13drains.jpg)
Drains: within basement, west end
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH14drains.jpg)
Drains: within basement, plastic ground water shields
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH15drains.jpg)
Drains: within basement, spreading concrete over plastic ground water shields
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH16drains.jpg)
Drains: curtain drains, around the foundation perimeter
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH12drains.jpg)
Drains: tar and plastic ground water shields for underground basement
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH22drains.jpg)
Materials: western red cedar, from Solid Cedar Homes, Tacoma Washington
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH17shiftedLoad.jpg)
Materials: the load was humped crossing the country
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH18shiftedLoad.jpg)
Materials: on the building site, under a week of rain
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH23shiftedLoad.jpg)
Walls: “Lincoln Logs” for grown-ups. (Thanks to Frank Lloyd Wright!)
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH24walls.jpg)
Walls: “first storey in place
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH25firstStorey.jpg)
Walls: starting the second storey
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH26secondStoreyStarts.jpg)
Walls: with helper, R. O. Despain
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH27raisingWalls.jpg)
Walls: second storey living room balcony
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH28secondStoreyBalcony.jpg)
Walls: exterior view of half-complete second storey
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH29secondStoreyView.jpg)
Walls: closing a high living room window
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH30ClosingHighWindow.jpg)
Walls: helper Tom Hammond looking down from living room second storey
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH31lookingDownFromRoof.jpg)
Walls: Bob, completing the living room roof peak
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH32hammeringAtThePeak.jpg)
Walls: placing second storey living room rafters
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH33SecondStoreyRafters.jpg)
Walls: the finish course, topping the walls
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH34wallFinishCourse.jpg)
Rafters: bed-room spanning rafters
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH35roomSpanningRafters.jpg)
Rafters: rafters span second bed-room; helper Bill Bates
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH36raftersSpanTheHouse.jpg)
The Roof: 2 x 6 tongue & groove cedar in place to close the roof
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH39roof.jpg)
The Roof: audience for roof closing, August 12, 1969
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH40roof.jpg)
The Roof: R43 insulation kept snow on the roof through winter
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH43roof.jpg)
The Roof: a bundle of shakes on the roof
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH44roof.jpg)
The Roof: block and tackle for lifting shakes to roof
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH49roof.jpg)
The Roof: removable roof section for access to roof and chimney
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH51roof.jpg)
Utilities: beyond the reach of water and sewer pipes
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH47septic.jpg)
Utilities: drilling the well
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CH52water.jpg)
Exterior Views: more to follow . . .
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CedarHall.jpg)
Inside: more to follow . . .
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/MiriamAtHearth780729.jpg)
Inside: Rob, Bob, Miriam, with a Christmas Tree planted years before
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CHLRXmasBobRALMRL.jpg)
Inside: bookshelves on the balcony over the living room
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CHbalconyShelves.jpg)
Inside: Rob entering from the second storey porch
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CHexteriorBalcony.jpg)
Exterior Views: the screened and open porches
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CHscreenedPorch.jpg)
Exterior Views: the completed house
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/CHnearTheLake.jpg)
Exterior Views: un p’tit coin d’paradise
![](http://NLCSA.net/photos/LC0/cedarHall/PtitCoinParadise.jpg)