BU-Uncaster Farming, Saturday, May 10, 1997
Farmhouse Part Of ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
EAST EARL (Lancaster Co.)
People told Willard and Libby
Brundege they were crazy when
they wanted to purchase an old
farmhouse to fix up.
The dilapidated place had no
indoor plumbing and had fallen
into great disrepair inside and out
But Libby saw past the peeling
paint, nicks and dents in the wood
work, and the splintering unfin
ished floorboards. Beneath the
chipping stucco exterior, Libby
envision beautifully restored
sandstone.
That was last year. This year the
restoration is complete.
“It turned out even more beauti
ful than I envisioned,” Libby said.
Friends and family members
also stand in awe of die transfor
mation. Even strangers drop by to
comment on the revived beauty of
the stately two-story sandstone
farmhouse. One of these strangers
asked the Brundeges to participate
in a fundraiser by opening their
home for tour.
The fundraiser is for the Hinkle
town Mennonite School. Although
the Brundeges three children are
grown and have never attended the
Hinkletown school. Libby said,
“We are Christians and known the
importance of Christian education,
so we were eager to help.”
The annual “Home Is Where
The Heart Is Tour of Homes” will
be held on Sunday, May 18, from 1
p.m. to S p.m.
The Brundege farmhouse was
built in 1920 from materials from
the original 1745 homestead.
The Brundeges* removed the
original wainscoating that had four
different colored layers of paint
and had the wood dunked in strip
ping solution at a refinishing shop.
The solution stripped the paint
from the grooves and all that
needed to be done to the wains
coating was to cover it was a clear
protective coating and tack it up in
the dining area.
Because Libby works at Cones
toga Woods, she designed a kitch
en and had the company make a
kitchen from Lenga wood
imported from Chili. Lenga wood
is similar to cherry wood and the
beauty of the wood grain is visible
beneath the white ivory stain.
A new portion was added to the
house to allow space for a downs
tairs bathroom, a roomy laundry
room, and back entranceway. All
new walls were put in throughout
the house.
The builders said that the floor
boards were disgusting and not
worth keeping, but Libby insisted.
Two downstairs rooms now have
mellowed wooden floors covered
with area Oriental rugs. Libby also
insisted on refinishing the original
wooden inside doors. Others said
the doors were too deeply marred
to redo, but the heavy wooden
doors now show only enough dents
to add character to their beauty.
Originally the upstairs had four
bedrooms, but one was converted
into a large walk-through closet
leading to the master bathroom.
The master bedroom features a
pencil-post canopy bed. A guest
room and their college-age daught
er’s bedroom are also upstairs.
Outside, the sandstone has been
restored and shutters added. The
sandstone had been gathered from
the fields and brought to the house
plot by using a stone pulley.
Some of the exterior buildings
have been removed and the other
buildings revived. The land is
farmed by a neighboring farmer.
An old ccmctary on the farm speci-
lies in the deed that it must be
maintained by those who live on
the premises. The enclosed cemet
ary, surrounded by open fields and
a few older trees, has tombstones
dating from 1788-1930. Libby is
intriqued by the Mcssner’s Gra
veyard because the tombstones
have various spellings of the name
Messner.
“I have always loved old
things,” Libby said of her vision to
redo a house that others did not
consider worth saving.
The home is furnished in a com
bination of antiques and collecti
bles. The dining room chairs are
from Libby’s great grandfather.
But most of the furnishings are
bargains that Libby garnered from
haunting garage sales and auc
tions.
On the day of the tour, the Brun
dege home will be decorated by
Petal Perfect, New Holland, and by
Hometown Collectibles of
Bowmansville.
Other homes on tour include the
following:
•Carl and Wilma Weaver, 1699
Division Hwy., New Holland.
From the windowsills to the large
stone fireplace in the newly
remodeled Williamsburg blue
kitchen and the small fireplace in
the master bedroom, this 1787
stone farmhouse has plenty of
warmth and charm. The history
from this home is recorded on the
deeds that the owner has kept for
display, stating that 322 had once
been a toll road. The original mill
work throughout the home has
been maintained over the years.
• Earl and Marilyn Weaver, 224
White Oak Rd., New Holland.
This two-story traditional home
decorated with a Victorian flair
was designed by the Weavers.
Angique family heirlooms furnish
the parlor and the light airy family
room features a cozy node for
relaxing. Marilyn and her family
created the artwork on display
throughout the home. The deck is
made from recycled plastic milk
jugs. The Heritage cream kitchen,
fireplaces througout, and an out
standing view of famland makes
this home an enjoyable place for
family and* friends to gather.
• Martindale Schoolhouse, 594
Martindale Rd., Ephrata. This
century-old two-story school was
built in 1888. The first floor is still
used as a parochial school. Com
memorative plates and a Martin
dale history book are available for
purchasing.
• Larry and Laveme Eby, 1480
(Turn to Page BIS)
The home is furnished
with many bargains that Lib
by garnered The kitchen Is made from Lenga wood Imported from Chili. Lenga wood is similar to
garage sales and auctions. cherry wood and the beauty of the wood grain Is visible beneath the white Ivory stain.
About ono year ago, this was a dilapidated farmhouse with crumbling stucco exter
ior and no indoor plumbing. Libby Brundege and her husband Willard oversaw restor
ing the house. It Is one of the homes Included in the “Home Is Where The Heart Is Tour
of Homes,” which will be held on Sunday, May 18, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The annual tour
Is a fundraiser for Hlnkletown Mennonite School.
Against professional advice, Libby Insisted the original floor boards be sanded and
refinished. To everyone’s surprise, the mellowed wooden floors bear no trace of Its
former deterioration.