The Continuance Institute

The Houses

Ten houses, each responsible for its own roof.

Ten Houses currently maintain residential or public programmes. Houses are not branches: each holds its own accounts, keeps its own kitchen, and answers to its circle. Residential periods of three to twelve days are open to members and, by arrangement, to visitors.

Schematic — houses and stations

Copied from the sheet held at the North House · not to scale · revision 9

Houses and stations. Select a mark to read it. Drawn at the North House from the sheet of 1988 and copied by hand since; distances are given in the handbook rather than on this sheet.

10 of 10 shown

H-01

North House

Penobscot County, Maine · est. 1974

The first house. A former grange hall and two outbuildings; the oldest part of the Common Record is kept in the cold room at the back.

  • Archival preservation
  • Food distribution
  • Adult education

Steward: Mara Evensen · Open to visitors

H-02

Shore House

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia · est. 1978

A boatbuilding shop, a winter kitchen, and the longest-running of the oral history programs.

  • Coastal restoration
  • Grief support
  • Oral history

Steward: Peter Amiot · Open to visitors

H-03

Fell House

Scottish Borders · est. 1981

Hill pasture, a book repair bench, and a standing arrangement with the district nurses.

  • Land restoration
  • Book repair
  • Rural isolation support

Steward: Iona Reid · Limited public program

H-05

Karst House

Upper Carniola · est. 1988

Cave and watershed stewardship, translation work, and the most completely documented house in the network.

  • Watershed stewardship
  • Translation
  • Regional archives

Steward: Tomaž Vrhovec · Open to visitors

H-06

Cedar House

Aomori Prefecture · est. 1993

Elder support and craft preservation, carried out almost entirely as the junior partner of local organisations.

  • Elder support
  • Craft preservation
  • Community meals

Steward: Rie Katsuragawa · Limited public program

H-07

River House

Ramsey County, Minnesota · est. 1997

Refugee resettlement support, winter mutual aid, and an oral history collection recorded in eleven languages.

  • Refugee support
  • Winter mutual aid
  • Oral history

Steward: Abdirahman Yusuf · Open to visitors

H-08

Orchard House

Yamhill County, Oregon · est. 2002

Eleven acres of orchard and market garden, a youth mentorship scheme, and the watershed council's least reliable minute-taker.

  • Food cultivation
  • Youth mentorship
  • Watershed work

Steward: Naomi Whitlock · Open to visitors

H-09

Lantern House

Socorro County, New Mexico · est. 2006

Night-sky preservation, hospice volunteering, and a slow argument with the county about street lighting.

  • Night-sky preservation
  • Hospice volunteering
  • Desert restoration

Steward: Delia Marquez · Limited public program

H-10

Briar House

Albemarle County, Virginia · est. 2011

Legal-literacy programmes, family archives, and a housing clinic that runs on Wednesday nights.

  • Legal literacy
  • Family archives
  • Housing support

Steward: Warren Dabney · Open to visitors

H-11

South House

Southland, South Island · est. 2017

The newest house: ecological restoration, emergency preparedness, and a district that is a long way from help.

  • Ecological restoration
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Rural community support

Steward: Hine Waititi · Residency only

Visits are arranged through the steward of the receiving house. Post is slower than you expect and is answered in the order it is opened.

Ten houses are listed here. Most people who take part in the Continuance do so through one of the thirty-eight local circles, each affiliated to a house but meeting in its own town.