The Welcome Wagon

On any given Sunday … or Saturday or weeknight, you can find us hard at work at 100 South Meadow. And that’s exactly what our neighbors have done … found us. By car, by bike and on foot – we get several visitors each day. Most folks are just curious about the fate of the little farmhouse that has stood vacant for so many years. And most are very pleased to hear not only that we’ve bought the property, but that we are not tearing it down.

The first thing 85 percent of them say is that we have our work cut out for us. This, we know. But we also know the potential of this home and our lives in it. That thought leaves us less troubled by the hard work and potential setbacks ahead.

These passerby-ers are always interested to learn about whatever tidbits of information we have on the house … for instance, that the main structure was built in 1775 by Joseph Maynard who we believe was a sea captain, that the additions were made sometime in the mid-1800s.

But what’s of particular interest to us is the bits of information they can offer about the properties more recent owners, whom we know little about. From what we’ve been told, our house used to full of children, it used to boast a kaki-green hue and it’s previous occupants were collectors of antiques. It makes us wonder why then has it been left in such disrepair for so many years.

All of this newfound information only works to make us even more excited and anxious to restore the home and its (what was once) beautiful landscape.

Later this week: New England Country rebuilds the sills. Here’s a look at the “before” …