Holderville House

Holderville House - Lot 27, Holderville

Original Grant:

Elizabeth Vail - January 27, 1786

Deed Transfers:

Elizabeth Vail to John Flewelling - 1786

Deborah Flewelling to Samuel Sharp - 1789

Samuel Sharp to Abel Flewelling - 1790

Abel Flewelling to John Holder - 1816

John Holder to Jacob and Nathaniel Laskey - 1809

Nathaniel Laskey to Samuel holder - 1816

Samuel Holder to Howard Holder - 1860

Samuel Holder to Howard Holder - 1871

Margaret Holder to Arthur Holder - 1906

Vera Holder to Ronald Holder - 1968

History and Style:

This home was built circa 1867 by Howard Holder. The family may have lived, or at least had a kitchen, in the basement of the home in the early days. The foundation of the original section of the house is made of field stone. The owners know that the original section of the house was all built at once, not pieced together, but the basement walls pose a mystery. There is a wall through the centre of the basement separating it into two sections. In this wall there is a window and a bricked in chimney and holes. Why there would be a window in an interior wall is a matter of conjecture. The chimney and holes may have been part of a basement kitchen oven at one time. Perhaps the home was built on the foundation of an older building that had burned or been torn down and the window was on the exterior of the former building. Lucretia “Cris” (Holder) Marshall was born and raised in the home along with her brother Ron and sisters Barb and Mildred. Their two grandmothers had one room apartments next to each other on the side of the house facing the river. During the summer months Cris’ mother Vera took in borders and Cris and her siblings would sleep on the porch; giving up their bedrooms to make extra room for the borders. Vera Holder also ran a store from the home for a time. Just down the hill from the property sits the family graveyard.

The house is an end gable entry design, which is a very common style for the Peninsula. There have been many additions to the house over the years, including an extension on the east end that was used as a store. It is not known if the wrap-around verandah and summer kitchen are original or later additions. The interior is decorated with door and window trim and corner blocks, and the floors are covered with hardwood throughout.