Lamonts rescued a cast-iron hitching post

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 July 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Albion and Gaines area in particular has many historic sandstone hitching posts. The Lamonts on Densmore Road have a cast-iron one by their driveway on Densmore Road in Gaines.

Roger and Ingrid Lamont pose for a photo with two of their grandsons, Alex, left, and Aaron.

ALBION – Roger Lamont saw it in a barn, part of a collection of old relics that had been abandoned.

He knew it should be displayed, returned to the landscape.

A decade ago he put a cast-iron hitching post by his driveway at his old farmhouse on Densmore Road.

“I keep everything that is old,” he said.

I’ve developed a hitching post and carriage step obsession. I was at Lamont’s house last evening for a story about two new apple varieties. I noticed the hitching post. It’s unusual around here. Most of them are made of sandstone.

The cast-iron one dates back more than a century. Lamont said it was owned by a farmer down the road. The old hitching post was left with a farm acquired by the Lamont family.

When Roger and his wife Ingrid moved in his parents’ home in 2002, Roger decided the hitching post would be a nice touch by the house.

For several years the couple operated a bed and breakfast at the site. Ingrid hung a welcome flag from the hitching post. She planted flowers around it.

The house is 100 years old this year. It includes a sandstone foundation and sandstone base for the pillars on the porch.