Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in one of LandVest’s properties? We invite our owners to tell us a bit about their experience, what they love about their homes, and a bit of their history. The owner of 16 Lothrop Road in Acton, MA shares what drew her to the Town of Acton, what makes her neighborhood so special, and why she’s leaving her much-loved family home after 26 years.
A Great Decision
I moved to Acton from the San Francisco Bay Area in 1994. I chose Acton purely because it was near my mother’s home in Harvard and a comfortable commute to work outside of Boston. Buying a home in Acton – and in my particular neighborhood – has to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Acton is a very family-friendly town, and my neighborhood is even more so. We have a wonderful diversity of people right around us, something I value greatly since my family is multi-racial. Neighbors are very caring, always looking out for one another and glad for any opportunity to connect. One neighbor faithfully maintains a neighborhood directory that includes ages of children and any services that individuals can offer such as baby-sitting, pet-sitting, or clearing snow. We also have an annual “block” party every September that is fun for all ages. And despite being located near Route 2 and Route 495, the neighborhood is very quiet with no traffic. It is not a cut-through to any other street, so it is perfect for children to play on or ride bikes, not to mention trick-or-treating at Halloween.
My house is within easy walking distance to such conveniences as the South Acton Train Station; Acton schools (grade school through high school); a commercial plaza that has a Roche Bros. grocery store and a number of other stores, plus several eateries and banks; several playgrounds and sports fields; West Acton Village; the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail that goes for many miles in either direction; and, several conservation land trails.
West Acton holds a number of annual family events and activities as does the Town of Acton (see NARA Park for more info). My personal favorite is the West Acton Farmers Market that runs from June to October on Sundays. It’s a fun way to buy local organic produce, fresh-cut flowers, baked goods, and other locally-made products such as pasta, chocolates, clothing, dog treats, soap, and many different kinds of crafts. I also love bumping into neighbors and friends there as well as making new friends as we compare notes on favorite items.
And So It Grows
When I bought the house, it was the only one on the street that hadn’t had any additions. I’ve done two major renovations over the years to accommodate my growing family. First, in 2003, I added a “great room,” redid the kitchen, and added central air conditioning. The great room and kitchen are my favorite places in the house – the great room because the many large windows and skylights make it so light and cheery; and the kitchen because I love the raised counter and how we as a family all use it at different times; plus it is such an easy kitchen to cook in, especially for large holiday meals.
In 2008, I expanded and updated the bedroom side of the house. This renovation included: adding a guest bedroom; redoing the small master bedroom into a spacious master suite that included my dream walk-in closet (designed by California Closets), radiant floor heat and a big soaking tub in the master bathroom, as well as a study with a gas fireplace. I also updated all plumbing and electrical that hadn’t been updated in the earlier renovation.
One last major improvement for the house was the addition of a whole-house generator in 2013. The generator starts up automatically if the power goes out, and it is tied into the gas line. It easily powers heat/AC and all electrical needs in the house.
Taking in the Views
I must also mention the extra views and privacy because the land across the street is an unbuildable wetland owned by the town. So, it can’t be developed. A stream runs through it and attracts a pair of wood ducks that nests there every spring. Other wildlife that calls the wooded area home includes a family of red foxes, plus numerous turkeys and deer.
I am a gardener and a bird lover. So, I have developed the landscaping over the years to provide a variety of color and texture throughout the year while also adding plants that are bird and butterfly-friendly. The blooms and fragrance start in the springtime with the forsythia, phlox, rhodies, azaleas, dogwood, and weeping cherry trees; then move into the summertime with peonies, roses, lilies, clethora, and groundcover geraniums; then to the later-blooming hydrangea, sedum, and daisies; and finally the bright foliage of fothergilla and then the red winterberry as fall moves into winter.
We have a great array of birds that come to our birdfeeders and call our yard home. There are the usual chickadees, nuthatches, finches, titmice, juncos, and cardinals. We also have several families of Carolina wrens, several varieties of woodpeckers including the amazing Pileated Woodpecker, a family of Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks, plus lots of hummingbirds that grace our yard in the summer. Sit out on the back patio at sunset and you will have quite a show of birds getting their dinner at the feeders!
Last but not least, we have a chicken coop with a fully-roofed/enclosed run in the backyard. We call it the poultry palace because it is so nice for the chickens! In the summer, the run is screened in. For the winter, we have plastic panels to enclose the run to keep it dry and much warmer. The coop also has electricity that allows for lighting and a water heater during the winter.
Why Move?
This has been such a special home for the last 26 years. I love the house, the convenient location, the peaceful and lush yard, and my caring neighbors. The only reason I am selling this home is because I need more land for my avocation of raising whippets. They need space to run, and sadly, we have outgrown our half-acre piece of heaven.
For more information on 16 Lothrop, contact J. Stanley Edwards
