The
pictures are of Rodman Hall in St. Catharines, ON. They are
taken at the beginning of what turned out to be our big blizzard
of the season. I was reading the second book at the time, and this
place reminded me of Swift’s
descriptions of "Forever" - a somewhat faded
old house that had seen many other lives and times.
About Rodman Hall:
The
site of Rodman Hall is the historic Thomas Rodman Merritt house,
on which construction began in 1824 and was completed in 1853. This
Victorian mansion is constructed of limestone from the Queenston
quarries, and is surrounded by 200 acres of gardens (Walker Botanical
Gardens) and trees along the Twelve Mile Creek in the centre of St.
Catharines Ontario. It is one of the premier facilities for the visual
arts in the Niagara Region, presenting a dynamic and diverse exhibition
program, featuring work of local, regional, national and international
artists.(direct quote from their promo lit.) It houses a permanent
collection with over 1000 contemporary and historical works of art.
In October 2003 Brock University acquired Rodman Hall and has been
restoring and renovating it. It currently houses the art gallery,
senior art student studios, and lecture/meeting rooms.
