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p>Built more than 80 years ago,
this splendid Colonial Revival home has both Tudor and neo-classical features,
notably the parapeted ornamental false timbering on the left front gable and
the Corinthian pilasters on both sides of the vestibule door and along the
walls of the living room. In 1926 the existing porch at the southeast corner of
the house was enclosed to make a sunroom.
The present owners, who have
lived here only a year, have restored the house to a shining perfection. All of
the brass hardware and wall sconces have been dipped, polished, and lacquered.
Missing or damaged sections of woodwork have been replaced with custom
millwork. Floors have been refinished, oak woodwork polished to a high degree,
painted walls and woodwork meticulously sanded. More prosaically and less
visibly, new wiring, plumbing, and heating have been installed and storm
windows added. Almost every one of the walk-in closets has a brass light
fixture and a window that opens either to the outside or to another room or
hallway, thus allowing not only for better lighting but also for increased air
circulation.
There are eight fireplaces in
the house, all of them worthy of special study. Two are particularly engaging:
the one in the living room, flanked by carved lions with massive paws; and the
one in the cheerful child's room upstairs, with tiles depicting familiar
nursery rhymes.
Throughout the house there are
many objects that the owners have brought back from the various places they
have lived or traveled. For example, a long-handled pan by the fireplace in the
sunroom was used to roast coffee beans in Saudi Arabia. Near it are spears from
Africa and a Bedouin "wedding trunk." Other rooms display a boomerang
from Australia, African masks, a carved chest from Thailand, and a screen from
India.
The basement and third floor
are both large and airy, and have been renovated with the same care given to
the rest of the home. The outstanding feature of the yard is a lovely little
fish pond. |