Around 12 years ago we tried to buy This Old House when it was in need of much repair and the 90 something year old owner, a lovely and very philanthropic woman had passed on. Having no children of her own, she left the house to a University, and the University sold it at auction to use the funds for their needs. We loved the old place and put in a bid. Initially we were told our offer was accepted, oh, did I leap for joy! Only to discover a week later that another bid had been “unofficially accepted” by another party shortly before us, so sorry for the mistake, and the fellow heard of our offer being accepted and hired a lawyer. Long story short, we had to walk away.
Who was this person who pulled This Old House out from under us? Was he going to tend to her many needs as we would have? Was he a master of renovation? Did he care about her old bones enough to preserve them?
Years went by. We would drive by This Old House ( literally THIS old house) and see….. not much. The yard around the house continued to grow up and around it. Some beautiful trees in the driveway had been cut down (gasp!) … but the purpose for that remained unclear. The fields remained overgrown. The house needed paint. Had he repaired the ceilings? The walls? That kitchen!
Five years go by, and we get a call. A call, it turns out, from Ed – the fellow who bought This Old House out from under us. I should be clear about this, it wasn’t his fault.. it was that of a realtor who shall remain unnamed. Anyway – Ed was having trouble keeping up with the place, it was “getting away from him”, he was struggling with some personal issues and would we still have an interest in buying the old place? Are you kidding. He wasn’t!
Within a year, we did get to purchase This Old House, and the rest you already know if you’ve been reading here for the past five or so years.
So.. where did Ed go after he left This Old House? He bought yet another run down property with significant acreage, a barn and two houses that needed work. For whatever his reasons, he has for at least three moves now, been drawn to lovely old properties that need more work than he can mentally or physically handle, but he sees them, falls in love, pays good money for them.. and then lives there for a while trying to sort it all out. It ultimately doesn’t get sorted, and he moves on.
Ed actually became a friend, and the Mr. helps him out where he can. When this next property became too much for him for whatever the reasons or demons… an associate of M looked over the place and saw a whole lot of potential he wants to tap into, and so he bought it.
What a glorious property!… The two homes are 1800’s and late 1700’s (stone house in pics below), all hand hewn post and beam. We had dinner at a local pub last night and then stopped at the old place to do some exploring before the new owner does what he will do. (develop). While it’s a bummer to see old farms like this developed, it’s inevitable in many cases. What’s important (!) is that it’s developed responsibly and with respect for the beautiful terrain that is worthy of keeping intact. Hopefully the homes will be restored. That’s the influence my M hopes to have on the developer. While this is what my guy does for a living.. the buyer is going to give development a go himself. That can either work out OK or be a disaster… so much to know, and they have no experience.
At one time, long before Ed owned the property, it was a nursery. Throughout the place there are lilacs and random flowering shrubs and perennials like iris, hosta and globe thistle. It’s all overgrown and the rhyme and reason are no longer obvious, but the quiet beauty of it all is breathtaking.
A barn stands in the middle of a field behind the houses – at one time a horse named “HotShot” lived there according to a plaque on the wall.
So where did Ed end up? Well, he kicked around a few ideas, including a Florida condo… but ultimately he bought himself a charming older small home on a busy road in the middle of town with not much yard to maintain. I don’t know how he is feeling about the traffic and the close proximity to neighbors, but the relief of finally landing where the land is not demanding… must be a comfort.