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1919 Steward Steven's had built a large, impressive home on his new property.
It was sometimes referred to as a hunting and fishing lodge. Steven's love
of space and his desire to have accommodations for his hunting and fishing
companions from the United States must have been instrumental in building
this house with a total floor area over 4,000 square feet.
Every
Sunday afternoon, the family visited the farm where Steven's , was
surrounded by his hunting dogs. The kitchen, the largest room in
the house, covering some 1000 square feet, was the site of most of the
entertainment. Meal times seen Steven's seated at the head of a lengthy
built-in kitchen table. the hired help would be seated down one side thus
leaving room for the guests to sit on the opposite site. Many wonderful
meals were served. If it were springtime fresh salmon and egg sauce would
be on the menu. From the Nictaux River, only 200 yards from the house,
a typical morning catch would be 5 or 6 large salmon. In the corner opposite
the kitchen dining area were the rocking chairs and a couch; a perfect
place for an afternoon snooze. Close by, the swinging door to the spacious
pantry was always in motion with plentiful amounts of food going in and
out. An area adjacent to the outside door was for hired help to "wash
up". Not far away was a built in gun cupboard.
The
house was so spacious! The huge halls, both upstairs and downstairs had
a fireplace. American sportsmen arrived each year at the lodge to fish
and hunt. They paid $100 /day for this privilege. The story is that when
visitors first came they brought their own food and dogs, but soon realized
that the lodge provided excellent food, and all the dogs they needed.
Mr.
Steven's developed pernicious anemia, and in due course was confined to
a wheelchair. In 1939. the lodge was sold to Max M. Nafthal, and immigrant
from Memel, Lithuania, for the sum of $12,500.
In
1974, the original property was purchased by John and Fred Roch, and became
known as Oakhurst Farms.
In
1994, Dianne Hankinson-LeGard and her family purchased the property and
transformed it into the Falcourt Inn.
History
of the Inn taken from the book,
Echoes
Across the Valley, A History of Kingston and its Neighbors
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