A Restored 1880s New Hampshire Farmhouse & Modern Homestead Seeking Its Next Steward

Some old houses ask to be renovated. ”Delilah” asked to be understood.

When we first encountered this 1880s New Hampshire farmhouse, years of hard living had overshadowed much of what made it special. But beneath the years of neglect, knawed woodwork and cosmetic blunders were extraordinary bones: original wood floors, substantial moldings, plaster walls, old doors and hardware, and an original staircase and railing that had endured for generations.

We weren’t looking for a new house. We were looking for an old one worth saving and we found one in a home our daughter named Delilah.

Over the next five years, we embaced on a project that would take our blood, sweat and tears.  What it has given back has been worth every penny, every drop of blood and tears and it has been an honor to not only breathe life back into this beautiful piece of Americana, but to steward it into its next century.  We hope we have preserved the character that deserved to remain while thoughtfully introducing the systems, comfort and craftsmanship required for modern life.

Today, approximately 80 percent of the home’s original wood flooring remains. Among its most remarkable features is the dining room floor, laid in alternating red and white maple and centered by a distinctive star medallion. Wide-plank white pine floors, 12 inch moldings, 9 foot ceilings, carefully restored plaster walls with graceful curved corners continue to tell the house’s story.

The restoration extended far beyond cosmetic improvements.

Original floors were refinished, historic plaster was repaired and resurfaced by a master artisan, chimneys were repointed and capped, and the house received extensive electrical and infrastructure updates. The roof and underlayment were replaced, the attic insulated, windows updated, gutters added, and the exterior trim repainted. Modern comfort now includes a six-zone propane heating system, mini-splits, a gas fireplace and an updated water heater.

Custom-tiled bathrooms bring another layer of comfort, including a soaking tub and European-style steam shower in the primary suite.

But the house was only part of what we hoped to restore.

The land has a much older story. It is our belief this property was originally deeded to the Drew family in the 1700s and remained associated with the interconnected Drew and Hall families into the early twentieth century. Long before it became our home, the land was farmed, including use as a potato farm.

We wanted that agricultural heritage to have a place in its next chapter.

Today, a fenced orchard grows apples, pears, peaches and plums along with grapes and blueberries. Raised vegetable beds, irrigation, electricity and a greenhouse support productive gardening throughout the growing season. Beehives produce honey, while the property’s abundant maple trees have allowed us to continue one of New England’s sweetest traditions: making our own maple syrup.

The pond and surrounding landscape bring another rhythm to life here. Beavers and river otters visit. Canada geese return to raise their young. Summers are spent gardening, gathering and watching the landscape unfold; winters have brought skating and sledding parties on the property.

We also wanted this to be a house where people could gather.

It has fulfilled that promise many times over: large family Thanksgivings and Easters, graduations, skating parties, milestone celebrations and summer gatherings, including Fourth of July celebrations for sixty friends and family.

A 60-foot deck creates an expansive outdoor gathering space, while the property’s additional dwelling unit provides valuable flexibility for guests, extended family, work or other uses.

Throughout the property, extensive infrastructure improvements were undertaken, from retaining walls, driveway and culverts to irrigation, electrical service, dock replacement and improvements to the additional dwelling, with the same philosophy as the house itself: care for what exists, improve what needs improving, and build for the future.

After years of restoring, improving and loving this place, the time has come for us to pass it to its next steward.

We didn’t simply restore an old house.

We restored its purpose.  Delilah is living a new life surrounded by the buzz of bees, the smell of flowers, the joy of canning and preserving every fall, the gathering around a boiler while maple water turns into liquid amber-gold, and the laughter of the families she has once again sheltered through storms and celebrated life with.  This is living WITH the land.

And now this remarkable New Hampshire farmhouse, homestead and gathering place is ready for its next chapter.