Chandelier from 1908

Today we found the most beautiful antique chandelier tucked away in the old workshed behind Pauline Manor. It was covered in dust, tangled in cobwebs, and missing a few pieces, but the second I saw it, I knew it belonged inside the house. The paint on the base even matches the fixture that hangs in the upstairs hallway, which makes me think this light might have been part of the original set that once illuminated these rooms.

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Discoveries like this make me fall in love with the house all over again. Every time we find a piece like this, it feels like Pauline Manor is revealing another part of her story, one that’s been hidden for decades.

There’s still a bit of mystery surrounding the true beginning of this house. The deed lists 1908 as the official build year, but we’ve found photographs and historical mentions of a home standing on this property long before then. Some records refer to something called The Gonzalez House, which was noted in early county histories, while others mention Fifteen Mile House, though some locals say that landmark was located a little farther north.

It’s entirely possible that Pauline Manor was built on the foundation of an older structure or even incorporated parts of it. When you walk through the basement, you can feel how certain beams and bricks don’t quite match the rest, as if they were reused from something earlier. That’s part of what I love most about restoring an old home. You’re never just renovating, you’re uncovering layers of history left behind by every person who came before you.

Someday I’ll figure out the full story of how Pauline Manor fits into all of that. For now, I’m happy to keep uncovering clues and celebrating each treasure we find along the way. That chandelier will shine again one day, and when it does, I’ll know it’s right where it belongs.