(all photos by Elaine A. Russell)

When I was a little girl growing up in Coudersport; I lived just up the street from this house. I would pass it every day on my way to Elementary School... and coming home every day I would see this older woman working in her gardens.

She was not an overly friendly woman... and when I asked about her I heard stories of her chasing people off her property... and scaring some of the local kids away. But I was curious. Eventually... one day I walked up to her and casually started weeding the flower beds with her. At first we never spoke... just worked silently together... pulling weeds and gazing at the birds. As the days went by... she started chatting with me... telling me about the flowers... telling me about the trees. Telling me the latin names of everything we could see and touch.

One day... she allowed me into her house. She made me tea and brought out cookies. She told me of her previous years teaching music at the famed Juilliard School in NYC. She played her violin for me. We began a friendship... and I treasured my moments with her in the gardens. She eventually showed me the entire house... including a secret passage that was once used in the Underground Railroad times. I only saw her sporadically over the winter... shoveled her sidewalk a couple of times... but she was a bit of a hermit... and I didn't see her much in the wintertime.

She died one winter...I think it was the winter of 76... her frozen body not found for weeks... because few ever came to her house to call....I was devastated.

Ironically... the only "brawl" I was ever in; was when a local bully was ranting about how glad he was she had died... and I clocked him one... the force sending him clean over the teacher's desk and knocking him out when he then hit his head against a cinder block wall.

Her estate was quickly settled... her sister lived in New York. She had no children... no extended family. Her house was bought and sold several times over the years... and then lay empty... literally rotting into the land.

Recently, another fabulous soul... Mr. John Peet... bought the property and is trying to restore it.

Mr. Peet has a profound love for antiques, history and music... and was also acquainted with my dear lady friend in the red house. He is working hard to restore it in a manner becoming to the era of the house.

Yesterday I was driving by the house, and noticed that Mr. Peet was there; and he graciously gave me a tour. We talked about "dear Helen"... and room by room... we wandered. He told story after story... detailing the history of the town... of the county... of the furniture... and the families that owned them/ made them/ cherished them. It was fabulous... and happy... and a bit sad too. So many memories ....

And here are some photos from my tour....

an antique spinet piano made by the B. Shoninger Co of New Haven, Ct with an Italian wedding tapestry hanging above it....