Why do we love antique homes?
Sense of place, for sure. The early Yankees had their pick of where to build, and they positioned their houses for the best light, air circulation and views. After hundreds of years together, the house and the setting create alchemy.
One popular misconception is that antique homes are lot of work. Ask the LandVest team members who live in antiques, and they will tell you it’s quite the opposite. After a few centuries, old houses are well past their shakedown cruises. Take good care of them, and they’ll take good care of you. Old-growth wood defies rot, assuming the owners have kept a good roof on and vegetation away from the walls. Systems, baths and kitchens require regular cycles of updating, regardless of the age of the house.
Antique homes have character and classic style: from wood beams that show the mark of the adze, wide-plank floors that speak to giant trees (and potential poaching of the King’s pine), ample fireplaces to warm the principal rooms and moldings with the finest details the owner could afford (or had the skill to create). These features withstand the test of time.
LandVest specializes in marketing antique properties. Below are a few special antique homes that are currently available:
Freedom Farm
Bolton, MA
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| Listed by Luxury Real Estate Broker: J. Stanley Edwards | |
Sited on 16.8± acres of rolling fields adjacent to the Bowers Spring Conservation Area, the early Federal “three-quarter” farmhouse was built in 1740 by James Houghton, a Revolutionary soldier. It features wide pumpkin pine floors and paneling, exposed beams, and five fireplaces. There are four bedrooms, two full baths, and, in keeping with its history, a “borning room” next to the kitchen.
521 Hammond Street
Chestnut Hill, MA
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| Listed by Luxury Real Estate Brokers: Terry Maitland and Nicole Monahan | |
Located in the Chestnut Hill Historic District, this Georgian Colonial was built circa 1749 by a member of the Hammond family and later owned by John Lowell, a Judge in the U.S. District Court. The setting is bucolic with an oversized parcel of 1.36 acres of beautiful flat lawns, mature specimen trees, and flowering gardens.
John Abbott House
Andover, MA
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| Listed by Luxury Real Estate Broker: Dick Church | |
Located on 2.32± acres, minutes from downtown Andover, the 1796 John Abbott House was meticulously renovated and then upgraded in 2014 and 2017. The award-winning property was recognized for its historic preservation in both 2006 and 2010. Most notable, the property provides a very rare combination of extensive historic context and detail with a highest quality, “new construction” standard. The property remained in the Abbott family for over 13 generations. The current owners are just the 4th family to own the property since its 1796 construction.
Chester Farm
Chester, VT
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| Listed by Luxury Real Estate Brokers: Story Jenks, Wade Weathers, Keith Ross | |
Chester Farm, on 73 acres just three miles from Chester village, is a special, very private property with exceptional views and wonderful wildlife. The c.1819 brick Cape, expanded and renovated with 6 bedrooms and 4.5 baths, includes original features such as wainscoting and a large brick fireplace with a beehive oven in the family room. There are two post-and-beam barns, with their souls intact, built in the 1800’s. The property is surrounded by stone walls, beautiful birch trees, open meadows and a 2-acre pond. The farm can also be purchased with an additional 1,807 acres.
Asaph Drake
Weybridge, VT
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| Listed by Luxury Real Estate Brokers: Story Jenks and Dia Jenks | |
Just three miles from Middlebury College, this iconic c.1825 Greek Revival brick residence on 26± acres combines classic features such as brick fireplaces, high ceilings and large windows, with the casual comfort of an updated layout. Green Mountain views enhance the bucolic setting with broad lawns, mature trees, and a large swimming/skating pond. There is also a post-and-beam barn with one-bedroom apartment above.
Stonlea on Dublin Lake
Dublin, NH
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| Listed by Luxury Real Estate Broker: Kristin H. Claire | |
Historic Stonlea, overlooking Dublin Lake, is reminiscent of the Gilded Age estates. Originally built in 1891 as a summer home, this Colonial Revival style 6-bedroom home was purchased in 2009 and completely restored and transformed into a magnificent year-round home by New York architect Hugh Hardy. In addition to the many original features which blend seamlessly with updated systems, a more open floor plan and modern kitchen, 16 geothermal wells convert ground heat to hot water radiators and radiant heat, and solar panels can provide up to 70% of the yearly energy needs.
Pirate’s Cove Farm
Mount Desert, ME
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| Listed by Luxury Real Estate Broker: Story Litchfield | |
Pirate’s Cove Farm is known to be one of the oldest residences in Mount Desert – with part of the residence built in 1778, originally as the post office. This fully-renovated and updated residence includes many preserved antique details, from rough-hewn beams to charming fireplaces and carved doors.
Burklyn Hall
Burke and Lyndon, VT
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| Listed by Luxury Real Estate Brokers: Wade Weathers and Christopher Lang | |
Built in 1908 by Elmer Darling, who ran the luxurious Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City, Burklyn Hall is a stunning Colonial Revival home that evokes the elegance of a bygone era. Within the 31-room residence are many refined decorative details, including rich mahogany paneling, hand-carved wood accents, hardwood flooring, and marble mantles gracing ten fireplaces. Outside, the 86 acres include extensive gardens, a carriage barn, and horse barn with 12 box stalls and an attached indoor arena.
Dark Harbor House
Islesboro, ME
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| Listed by Luxury Real Estate Broker: Terry Sortwell | |
Built in 1896, Dark Harbor House is a stunning example of Colonial Revival architecture designed by Fred Savage. The current owners commissioned a complete restoration/renovation in 2011-12 that started with a new foundation and ended with top period furnishings and impeccable landscaping.
Fleetwood Farm
Tamworth, NH
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| Listed by Luxury Real Estate Broker: Kristin H. Claire | |
This 1797 Colonial, surrounded by open fields, a private pond, gardens and mountain views, has been tastefully renovated and expanded to include finely appointed spaces. In addition to the five-bedroom residence, there is a guest cottage with a library and two bedrooms, a caretaker’s log cabin, and a renovated 1797 barn with 11 stalls, tack room, grain room, hay storage and two-car garage.
For more information about these and other LandVest listings, contact the Boston office, 617.723.1800 or info@landvest.com.
