When I mentioned the "bizarre home of Charles Delaware Tate," I meant, of course, his home in 1970 (or whenever the present day story line was taking place).
Although my memory of a lot of specifics about storylines is fading alarmingly, my reference to "1849" was a typo for "1840."
So I'm not sure if Flora's home was Rose Cottage, but I think these were two different places. I remember something about "the old Magruder place," whence I developed the theory that Flora Collins was born Flora Magruder. I loved the interiors of that home (didn't Desmond live there, too) but can't remember if we ever saw the exterior. Does anyone remember seeing the exterior?
It was Rose Cottage and yes, Desmond lived there as well. They would show the exterior quite often.
Thanks for helping refresh my memory. I wish I could see these episodes again, but my tapes are in storage. I have about 3 tapes with me in my apartment, and I popped one in late last night. In an amazing coincidence, considering what I had posted above about Rose Cottage and "the old Magruder place", the second episode on my tape (which I haven't viewed in at least a couple of years!) was the one were Barnabas discovers where/what Rose Cottage is - he tells Julia, quote, "it's the old Magruder house".
And yes, I clearly remember the exterior of the house, with its white pillars. But I didn't remember that it was Flora and Desmond's home. Wish I could put it all together in my mind, but I'd just have to see this entire sequence again. Something to look forward to at a future date! (This factored into my conclusion that Flora was a Magruder who married a Collins. But another explanation for them living in a house Barnabas refers to in the present day as the "old Magruder house" could be that it was sold to another family (named Magruder) sometime after the events of 1840. Nevertheless, I do find it curious that Flora Collins is regarded by DS fandom to have been a blood Collins. Not too likely, since Desmond's last name is Collins. Unless she bore him out of wedlock.
I was going to come back here today and mention the house on Little Windward Island, though Andre DuPres has done so.
I imagined that house so vividly in my mind because I worked on a story that I never finished that's set there. I could not accept the exterior shots of the house as truly being Angelique and Sky's home, which the exterior shots showed as a shabby wood shack. No way! Somehow, someone goofed and got the wrong shots!