From 1979 until 1987 our family lived in this old house (pictured below), which is located within the boundaries of the Maryland Baltimore Mission. It had been constructed in Buckeystown, Maryland in 1858 several years prior to the start of the American Civil War. The spacious three-story dwelling with a spiral staircase, full front porch, and French-Mansard roof together with its large yard with lots of trees was a delightful place to raise children, and our 5 sons and 3 daughters made the most of it. We collectively have many choice memories from the years we called this property our home.
This Old House
About thirty years ago during some heavy rainstorms we discovered water stains on the 2nd floor ceilings and moisture on the plaster walls. We quickly realized that the house needed a new roof; and upon careful examination by a contractor, it became apparent that it would be necessary to remove all of the shingles and replace most of the wood that was covering the main roof beams . . . a major construction project. All of the repairs were made, and we enjoyed a half dozen more years in this house before a change in my employment location required us to move to North Carolina.
One of our sons passed through Buckeystown a few days ago and took the photograph shown in this article. Time has taken its toll on this old house during the past three decades. It looks as if the shingles on the roof have seen better days, while the sagging front porch and steps are ready to collapse. Through neglect, the structure appears to be in poor condition reminding me of the words from Stuart Hamblen's classic song, This Old House, made famous by Rosemary Clooney in 1954:
This ole house once knew his children
This ole house once knew his wife
This ole house was home and comfort
As they fought the storms of life
This old house once rang with laughter
This ole house was home and comfort
As they fought the storms of life
This old house once rang with laughter
This old house heard many shouts
Now he trembles in the darkness
When the lightnin' walks about
Now he trembles in the darkness
When the lightnin' walks about
This ole house is afraid of storms
This ole house just groans and trembles
When the night wind flings its arms
This ole house is a-gettin' feeble
This old house is a-needin' paint
Just like him it's tuckered out
But he's a-gettin' ready to meet the saints
In this world physical things wear out with time and use. The human body, like this old house, is designed to to crumble and return to the source from which we came . . . "till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (see Genesis 3:19) Unlike the old house, however, we are more than material substance (flesh and bones); for the body houses our spirit, which allows us to become a living soul.
When we experience physical death, our body is laid to rest in the earth; but our spirit goes to the Spirit World where it remains until the time of the resurrection when all the graves shall be opened, and the dead shall rise again with body and spirit reunited forever in a prefected state. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of this country understood this principle:
The body of B. Franklin, Printer (Like the Cover of an Old Book Its Contents torn Out And Stript of its Lettering and Gilding) Lies Here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not be Lost; For it will (as he Believ'd) Appear once More In a New and More Elegant Edition Revised and Corrected By the Author.
Sad to see the place like that. But, oh the memories.
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