1979

Our grandparents had bought the house at an auction in 1979, from the Cambre descendants. Adolphe Cambre had built the house 150 years ago and his children and grandchildren had built an orchard and berry farm on the property. Our grandmother’s family had frequented the orchard when she was a child. She had written about it being an enchanted farm. It was a special place where fairytales could have happened. The property was in the countryside down gravel roads and a long lane. She had said that it would appear when the signs went up in the fall and disappear when they were taken down. At the time of the auction the orchard unfortunately was no longer there.

Our grandmother was an avid collector and restorer of antiques. When the house and farm was advertised for auction, she convinced our grandfather to purchase the property. With the support of her husband, as well as her brother and sisters, the Cambre House became her ultimate antique project. My grandparents and family worked hard on restoring the property and opened it up once a year for the public to tour. They were able to add it to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s and it continues to be on the list.