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This is the Cooley House in Central Vermont
My name is Sylvia Shepard Cooley.
I am the self-assigned project coordinator... an old family house
that has to come down but will be rebuilt
as closely as possible to the original.
Check out the blog posts to see the process.
Add your ideas. Please comment!
For more information: "About"
Blog Categories:
Progress report, up next- the barn
Progress in the rebuilding of the Cooley house on Ridge Road- I have started to touch base with some excellent builders (but since they...
Apr 30, 20242 min read
Our Cooley history
The first Cooleys started a farm on Ridge Road, Randolph Center. Anna (Hale) & Augustus Cooley, their son Harry Cooley center. Augustus's...
Apr 17, 20241 min read
1950s view of Ridge Road
Supplied by Tim Cooley from his father John Cooley's slide collection
Apr 6, 20241 min read
Replicating the 1960s kitchen in the 2020s
I can't decide if I am just obsessed with recreating a similar house or if I am truly inspired by the old house to get new ideas. At any...
Apr 3, 20242 min read
Upstairs and downstairs
The upstairs will be very similar to the old house except for no walls around the '3rd bedroom,' (keeping it open for light into the...
Mar 29, 20241 min read
Changing the north and east sides a bit
A reader/family member suggested changing the north side less (from the original house design) and to do that have the mudroom entrance...
Mar 28, 20241 min read
Initial elevations of house plans
These are very basic. I don't have all details on them yet. If you see the trim I drew on the front of the house (west side) imagine...
Mar 25, 20242 min read
Initial plans
I got inspired to play my with house plan ideas after visiting Phil Godenschwager who does architectural drawings. I want to have some...
Mar 24, 20242 min read
Moving forward with plans
On the first day of spring, March 21, 2024, I visited with Phil Godenschwager at his studio in Randolph, Vermont on Weston Street (in the...
Mar 22, 20241 min read
Visit to the house site today
As this video pans to the left, remember the 2nd house was located there, pushed out to the south a bit, connected to the far 'left'...
Mar 21, 20241 min read
The Herald, Randolph, VT newspaper reports on fire training, March 14, 2024
https://www.ourherald.com/articles/historic-homes-demolition-helps-local-fire-depts/ Firefighters from Randolph Center, East Randolph,...
Mar 20, 20241 min read
Front Porch Forum brings neighbors together
I got the idea to share this site on Front Porch Forum from my writers’ group with Sara Tucker. https://www.korongobooks.com/ Great...
Mar 16, 20242 min read
An Empty Building Comes to Life
I wrote this as an assignment from a prompt for a writers group run by Sara Tucker https://www.korongobooks.com/ An Empty Building Comes...
Mar 15, 20244 min read
It's a Wonderful Life
I am lucky to be a Cooley. When I got married to Daniel R. Cooley back in 1974 I was (already) a feminist but I also thought it would be...
Mar 13, 20242 min read
Who are the best builders?
Tim Cooley, a cousin, made a good case for using a builder (vs. a prefabricated house, even if it is a high-quality prefabrication...
Mar 5, 20244 min read
Ridge Road House maps
So if you come up from the village of Randolph, driving up the hill on Rt 66 until you get to Randolph Center, take a left at the main...
Mar 1, 20241 min read
Final clean up
A small business in Vermont: Henderson Excavation & Engineering P.O. Box 695 Williamstown, VT 05679 Eric and his father Lev make a great...
Feb 29, 20241 min read
Fire Training videos
Fire training, fire starts to flare up Firefighters training, view across the road. Siren sounds Full on fire This was so surreal, it...
Feb 26, 20241 min read
Fire training photos February 25, 2024
Note: I updated these photos today (2/28/24) to include six of Peter Cooley's photos. He captured the north side and the back side. ...
Feb 26, 20241 min read
Fire day
This biggest impression I was left with from this day is how a small community can come together. Fifty firefighters were willing to...
Feb 25, 20242 min read
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