House of the Week: A Rebuilt, 255-Year-Old Farmhouse

The walls of this 1760 colonial home are mostly new.

It’s been stripped down to the studs on the inside, then had its outside peeled off. The post-and-beam frame has been straightened, and a new home installed with a chef’s kitchen and Internet-controlled heating and air conditioning.

It’s a 2015 home, except for the architectural artifacts that recall its past 255 years: the giant oak posts and beams that have stood the test of time; the 4 stone fireplaces that used to keep the home warm; the weathered wood in a bathroom that used to be the back of the main fireplace.

The owner found a bayonet from the French and Indian War hiding in one of the fireplaces, and he installed an old window from the kitchen beneath a vaulted ceiling that separates two upstairs bedrooms.

“It makes them seem much bigger than they are,” said Bruce Kafenbaum, who’s asking $2.475 million for the 52-acre estate three hours outside Boston.

He relishes the home’s history, from the fireplace engraving by an owner two centuries ago to the pins and old iron pieces that were used to build it.

In rebuilding the home, Kafenbaum opened up the floor plan, which includes a two-story, beamed foyer, a kitchen/great room, dining area, den with full bath, laundry room, mudroom and half bath. It also boasts a main-level master suite with a fireplace in the sitting area and a bathroom with a double tub, a walk-in shower and radiant heat.

Three bedrooms on the second level still have their original, wide-plank floors. The property also includes a 3-bedroom guesthouse with 2 baths, a screened-in porch and a new kitchen.

Four-legged creatures can stay warm in the 2,000-square-foot barn with four stalls, a tack room and a second-story hay loft.

The property is surrounded by its original stone walls from the 1700s. It’s studded with fruit orchards and woven through with trails for riding, hiking, cross-country skiing and snow shoeing. Swim, rest or skate at the pond, which features a fire pit, dock and beach area.

The listing agent is Marc Bachman of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.

Photos by Randy O'Rourke

Related:

• Before & After: Modern Colonial Style
• A Colonial Farmhouse That Predates the Country
• New England Estate With $500,000 Hockey Rink

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