Elizabeth Bishop House Yard Restoration Appeal

(Photo by Patti Sharpe)

On the morning of 22 September 2014, a sudden and significant flood occurred in Great Village, N.S. The Elizabeth Bishop House was right in the middle of this unexpected event, which was caused by over 100mm of rain falling in a very short period of time. (There is speculation in the village of other external factors that exacerbated this intense rainfall, but that is a debate for another place and time.) The house was surrounded by rushing water, but thanks to forethought by previous owners, it came through the flood just fine. You can see my accounts of the flood and its affects in the posts below.

The yard of the house did not fare so well. The driveway was washed away and a significant amount of gravel was deposited in the yard. The front porch foundation and steps were affected and must be rebuilt. All in all, considering the intensity of the event, this damage is manageable. Even so, restoring the EB House yard, which was always lovely, and repairing the front porch will require significant effort and expense. We have insurance for the house, but it will not cover the yard restoration work. The porch might be covered, but there is a significant deductible.

(Photo by Patti Sharpe)

In the manner of a crowd-funding campaign, the owners of the EB House are launching an appeal for help with the yard restoration work, which is now underway. Any contribution, however small, will be deeply appreciated and will go directly to this project. Giving $20 will help a lot. If you would like to help out, you can send a cheque payable to the Elizabeth Bishop House to Sandra Barry (P.O. Box 235, Middleton, Nova Scotia, B0S 1P0). Unfortunately, we are not able to provide tax receipts.

We will post reports about the progress of the restoration work on this blog and let our kind supporters know how their contributions have helped. The posts below tell the first parts of this story. Thanks to all those who have already helped, especially the folks in Great Village, and to all who have written to express their concern and support. We are most grateful for the community, the family, that surrounds the Elizabeth Bishop House.

(Photo by Brenda Barry)