In this video, the crew takes on one of their oldest projects to date—a First Period home, once a goat farm with a barn, in the town of Ipswich. First period homes are those built before 1725. This 1720 house is a small timber frame gambrel style with an addition called an “ell.”
The ell grew over the years into two stories and is now taller than the original house. Homeowners Bill and Helen feel duty-bound to renovate and preserve the gambrel’s history, bringing it back to its original beauty.
On a tour of the gambrel portion of the home, Tom Silva and Bill identify features that are original and will remain, like the gunstock posts with beaded trim and the wide plank floors.
Helen gives Kevin O’Connor a tour of the ell addition and shares the plan to remove the second story to return it to a single-story ell.
On the opposite side of the ell there will be a new primary suite and garage. Richard Trethewey briefly describes how homes were heated during the first period.
Outside, Jenn Nawada and Helen discuss how to improve the landscape, which will entail dealing with the invasive plants growing on the property.
Charlie Silva plans to raze the old barn, replacing it with one built in a factory; but assembled on-site.
Wanting to repurpose as many materials in the home as possible, the homeowners get a lesson from Tom on the use of tools to properly salvage the old floors for minimal damage.
Original Air Date: Mar 23, 2023, Season 44; Ep. 15 23:42
Products and Resources from this Episode
- Architect: Benjamin Nutter Architects, LLC