The neighbors insisted
the place was haunted. When they walked by the house at night, they said
they could see the shadow of the old seafarer pacing in the captain’s
tower of the old Victorian. Many say he awaits the return of his ship
and crew, despite the fact that he and the crew met their fate at sea in
1907. but that didn’t deter the new buyer from restoring it to its
original beauty. Built in 1896, the historic home served as the landmark
of a once-thriving seaport, but shoddy, piecemeal construction
characterized any fixes that had been made over the years…and utter
neglect had finished off everything else. The restoration posed a
two-fold challenge. Not only were wholesale changes necessary, the job
also demanded incredible attention to detail. In addition to major
remodeling like roof and floor replacements, foundation reinforcement,
and chimney rebuilding, the crew was also charged with recreating the
antique gingerbread details of the Victorian Façade, aspects that made
this home so unique in the first place. To do so, they consulted period
photographs for accuracy. Long-forgotten trim remnants in the barn also
aided in the reproduction. The name of the house, “Broadview”, which a
staffer discovered in old photos, was painstakingly recreated on the
home’s turret making the facelift complete.
2015 National Award
