Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1325707
24 WINTER 2021 "M R. WASHINGTON IS HERE" IS CARVED ON one of the hand-hewn rafters. "As the story goes, the house was being framed when George Washington was on an inaugural tour north in 1789," explains the homeowner. "He and his entourage must have passed by the farm on their way to Amesbury, and someone noted the historic event." Dating back to 1789, the Federal-style farmhouse was once part of a larger parcel known as Arrowhead Farm, set on what is now the border of Maudslay State Park in Newburyport. Since its construction, the house has moved twice: once so the farmer could be closer to his sister and again because the water company declared eminent domain. "There's a book written about the farm's history, and we also learned a lot from the seller, whose family owned this house and the house next door for generations," says the owner. A retired couple with grown children, the new stewards of this colonial gem loved its history and giant barn but knew it needed a lot of work. They used it as a rustic summer retreat for a couple years before deciding to relocate to it full time. At first, they started construction on a small scale, but it quickly became apparent that a comprehensive remodel/renovation was in order. Wanting to preserve the home's formal front but also desiring a new garage, mudroom, kitchen, and master suite, they approached Ipswich-based Cummings Architecture + Interiors, attracted by its full-service approach and experience with historic renovations. "Their farmhouse followed the pattern outlined in Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn by Thomas Hubka," says firm principal Mat Cummings. "As families had more children, they would eventually add a little house behind the big one, forming an L. This extra addition typically had a kitchen below and an extra bedroom above," he explains. On this property, the big house and barn were built first, in the late 1700s, while the little house was added around 1900-1920, forming a passage to the barn. This particular little house was no more than a rustic shed nshoremag.com/nshorehome/ kitchens Cummings Architecture + Interiors converted a closet into a dish pantry. Above, the original home was built in 1789.