Tasteful Friends: 18th Century New Hampshire Federal

So much water damage in the parlor. Does the roof leak?

I love the wide floorboards, but overall it makes me feel uncomfortable. As though Katharine Hepburn is going to march downstairs and give me a good haranguing at any moment! I have WASP anxiety.

A gas station if 30 yards from the house. How convenient.

The entire house is filthy too

Money pit

I like it. Some of the rooms are modern. The house comes with 23 acres of land! Only 389K. If I could handle the cold weather, I would buy it.

I love it. Would gladly live there. Went I went to Salem, MA and saw so many of these beautiful old houses

Is it cold? It looks like it would be cold in there. Brrr!

Sure. $389,000 to buy, but how much to fix, let alone improve?

I live in a house similar to this. It’s cold as fuck in winter unless the heat is turned way up and hot as hell in summer unless the AC is on. I hate it. My husband loves it but I’ll convince him to get rid of this white elephant eventually.

some of the rooms are fabulous. I weirdly like the various floorings throughout.

The kitchen made me cry.

did they dissolve the former owners in lye in that bathtub?

Would you refinish the floors or leave the scars?

It's a bit patchy inside (like the lawn). I like the fireplaces and the bookshelves inside the closet. I agree the the cost of repairs would run high.

The house is very near me. I have been in it a few times.

R1, the wallpaper in the living room is antique. I know it may be hard for you to understand, but with antique wallpaper, you live with a few water stains.

The gas station has not been active for years, but the country store attached to the gas station is run by a crazy lady who is the town gossip. She can't be a good neighbor.

Main Street in Temple is also known as Route 45. It is a very busy spur that connects Southern NH to Peterborough, NH. It would be hell to live on, though I suppose one would be certain the street is plowed.

The congregational church a few doors down is all kinds of crazy. 'Nuf said.

It is kitty corner from the only decent restaurant in the area, The Birchwood Inn.

R12 The roads out your way really suck in the winter.

R12, the town sounds quirky and fun. Many tourists?

weirdly, I love the kitchen.

Nope, I still hate wallpaper! Even wallpaper that is subtle, colorful (I like colorful), and antique. I still hate it.

And WTF is up with that bathtub with the huge seam in it? It doesn't look water proof.

R12 The problem isn't that the wallpaper has water damage, it's: 1. has the source of the damage been repaired and 2. are the walls full of mold?

R15 I love the kitchen too. I loathe all current kitchen trends.

If it were near me, I'd snatch it right up. I'm serious. This house is a prize.

Ugh, full gut. You folks don't had any idea what a money pit that house is. It likely needs EVERYTHNG. All new mechanicals, new septic and well, windows, roof...on and on and on. $150k easy to do it right. And the area does not support that kind of investment.

R19, as a house flipper, this is most certainly not a house for you. You simply don't seem to appreciate a house that has been lovingly preserved. Ripping out the original 250-year-old windows is madness. It's quite clear that that wood roof doesn't need replacing. I'd not be worried about mold issues but certainly, test everything. I'd be very careful about refinishing the floors since you'd erase the patina pretty darn easily. The charm of this place is in it's non-HGTVness. Not everything needs to be what happens to be on-trend. It' s certainly not a house for everyone, but it deserves preservation, not granite and stainless steel. Stick to tract houses that have no soul and make those current.

R14, I laughed at the notion that Temple is a town. The village is pretty much everything that you see in the aerial shot former gas station/country store/post office, church, town hall. Across the street is a cemetery and the inn. That is it. Very few tourists. It is somewhere one drives through on the way to Peterborough or on the way to Massachusetts.

R20, historic homes are generally best appreciated as attractions or museums. They are not good to live in. Ask anyone who has taken on a project like that. The house becomes your life and all the upkeep and repairs consume you. And why? To live like a pioneer in 2019?

Think of it this way. The people who lived in that house 200 years ago, if they could time travel to witness how slavishly some people cling to the past, would scratch their heads and say, "wtf? Those idiots must have a screw loose. They have so many conveniences and comforts available to them in 2019 and yet they 'choose' to live like we did out of necessity. Why don't they just update that old heap."

Such charm! Such character!

R22, I live in a 1740s house. I have none of those problems. The garden takes more work than the house.

That shower stall is disgusting and the wood around it looks in bad shape.

Lived in a house built in 1760. Loved it intensely . And this house is far more grand than mine.

A house flip R19? Get real. You don't flip houses that come with 23 acres in rural villages.

[quote]downtown Temple

It sounds so wonderfully cosmopolitan

I think there is a difference here in valuing what's current and possibly more convenient over quality and authenticity. I don't really care to have to continually replace inferior products like a vinyl window when a handmade 12 over 12 window with original glass CAN be made more efficient. I also prefer something that is unique and shows it's age over something generic and not terribly special. The house has been made comfortably modern for most people's standards, electricity, plumbing, central heat. It's not as if these owners were using outhouses and cooking over the fire. It likely just doesn't have the amenities that some may like. Can lights, a jetted tub, and what people seem to think of as luxurious finishes.

Your value system is obviously just very different than mine. I think many gay men recognize uniqueness and quality and have been the ones at the forefront of preserving the good and unique things in our past. There have been books written about that specifically. I myself have a degree in historic preservation and work in the design world, so I know there is certainly a market for what I do, and what you do as well. I like to think many of the people that built these old houses with their own two hands would say, wow---someone saw the value, craftsmanship and hard work in what I did and have tried to stay faithful to what I built. Just because it's new doesn't make it good.

It’s not far from Peterborough, which is a lovely town, so that’s a plus. There are some beautiful rooms, I particularly love the bedroom with the twin canopy beds. I grew up in New England, and this house is classic northeast. I think I’d tinker with the kitchen, and do some other slight adjustments, but that’s it. The front facade is so beautiful. Love it.

I like it pretty much just the way it is. Besides, if you start making lots of changes, you'll probably annoy the ghosts, and they'll come after you.

That exterior door in the library is just wrong.

Here's the kitchen. I like it as well. I like the corner sink, which I've had before. It actually makes good use of space in a small kitchen. (Usually corners are a dead space in cabinets.)

But won't you knock your head on the cabinets when you attempt to use the sink?

The corner sink I had didn’t have cabinets like that, iirc.

I have a cabinet over my sink and I've never hit my head.

[quote]A house flip [R19]? Get real. You don't flip houses that come with 23 acres in rural villages.

No shit, Sherlock. I never said it was a flip. Not in a million years. I said that, IMO, it isn't fit to live in....as is, or "lovingly restored" by someone who wants to live like it's 1797.

It ain't no Mamie Van Doren.

Pretty sure they didn't have refrigerators, stainless steel sinks, or dishwashers in 1797.

Stick with your vinyl siding, white Shaker cabinets, Trex decking and laminate floors, Flip. It will all have to be ripped out in 30 years by someone else who thinks the same as you anyway. You obviously can't perceive nuance or are just being obtuse. No one is suggesting we all live in a museum or without modern comforts.

Is it haunted by the ghost of a Hessian soldier who is returning to find his lost love?

If not, I don't want it

[quote]Pretty sure they didn't have refrigerators, stainless steel sinks, or dishwashers in 1797.

Not to mention toilets.

This house does have charm. I usually hate stuff like this bed, but for some reason this one is nice.

Too much shit crammed into the shelves, ugh, but this room is nice.

[quote]Can lights, a jetted tub, and what people seem to think of as luxurious finishes.

Or some of us might recognize that the 70s era upgrades— like the kitchen and bathrooms— are poorly done with cheap materials and in need of an overhaul. Those always end up being the most expensive projects and I shudder to think what the plumbing situation is like in an 18th c. home.

The floors are great, wouldn’t touch them.

Love it. Exactly why you live in New England. Just can’t replicate the detail, patina and style. The windows make the house.

The problem is the road. I had the same - beautiful old house on lots of land but was 50 feet from a main road. Never again. Unfortunately a lot of these old old houses are right on the road.

It doesn't seem to be right on top of the road, I wonder if you could landscape that median area some, and that lilac hedge is all sorts of awesome.

I’m in love with all of the bedrooms, they are all beautiful.

Its beautiful ! I love all the shelves crammed with books that you know have been read,not there as a display. I love all of the furniture and that gorgeous old wallpaper. Id tweek a few things but overall Id keep it just as it is.

Fuck no! That place a a thousand ghosts flitting about. And that tub looks like someone was slaughtered in it. I wouldn't even want to walk around in there.

Loll, R49, how do you move throughout the world on a daily basis? Do you always have to live somewhere brand new? I am sincerely curious as to how one manages things.

[quote]Too much shit crammed into the shelves, ugh

Those are books, dear. We read them.

^Yup, because when they were built there was zero traffic. Yet another reason historic homes are impractical to live in.

[quote]Stick with your vinyl siding, white Shaker cabinets, Trex decking and laminate floors, Flip. It will all have to be ripped out in 30 years by someone else who thinks the same as you anyway.

Let's hope so. And it's more like 20 yrs. No one does laminate anymore, btw. Now LVT is all the rage. We give them what they want. And when they want something else, we will give them that. "Them" = 90% of the population.

The house is right on the road. There isn't that much front yard, and as I mentioned it is a very busy road.

I really do not understand why people look at an old house and assume the plumbing and wiring are original. The 1740s house we live in was completely rewired and re-plumbed in the 1980s. Everything is relatively new, of good quality, and in good condition.

The problem with any older house is that the bathrooms and kitchen often need to be redone. We were fortunate. The original 1920s kitchen was not touched, except for new appliances. The baths were redone in the 1980s in white subway tile and black & white hex flooring. One bath has a floral paper that isn't our favorite, but that is the least of the problems.

[quote] The house is right on the road.

I noticed that the one (and only) time I visited NH. Front doors that seem to open right into traffic. I wonder if that's to cut down on the amount of snow one has to shovel to get out of the house?

No, it was just another way of life.

You should know that the front lawns that we are familiar with were mandated after WWII to help the economy. Houses prior to WWII tended to be closer to the road and the social life of the street was the front yard. By zoning requirements for larger setbacks, the social life moved to the backyard and the house became more isolated from the neighbors. This sold more TV sets and stereos since the family was isolated in the house, and more consumer goods for backyard entertaining such as barbecue grills. And, of course, they had to spend more on the upkeep of the lawn.

[quote]I really do not understand why people look at an old house and assume the plumbing and wiring are original.

Where was anyone assuming that? Rather it’s about how well those elements were incorporated into the existing house. It’s a lot easier to upgrade plumbing and wiring in a newer home than an old one, just a fact.

R56, Uh no. The same walls need to be opened up. The same tile needs to be removed. I did Interior design (note: design, not decoration.) for many years. This was one of the things that always shocked people. Somehow they thought modern plumbing and wiring could be accessed without opening walls.

Your assumption is that wiring and plumbing will always be a disaster. The truth is that there is a very good chance that they will be new and in good condition, particularly since every homosexual in the 1980s was buying a historic house and renovating it.

The issue on any old house is that what is there will not be up to code, but that can be an issue with any house that is not new construction. Friends of mine have discovered that they have to complete replace a septic system that is less than 20 years old because it was made non-code two years ago. Quite frankly, in some areas codes are changed with the intention of creating new business. There is nothing wrong with the old. It is just that nobody makes money if nothing is replaced

R50 I actually do just fine go out and all but still don't want to live in a house that was used for blood rituals and has spooks wafting around. Please, you live there for me you seem to like stuff like that.

Well, Flip. You've proven my points quite nicely. Not only do you seem incapable of refuting my original points, your cynicism, and thoughtlessness are pretty base. Go make your money by installing as much cheap crap in a house that you can. LVT is the biggest sham that's come down the pike in years. Luxury vinyl tile? Please, no oxymoron there. Are you at all concerned about sustainability if not preserving what's come before us? I've been called in after the fact to fix a flipper's stupid choices. I've pulled up that LVT to reveal original hardwoods that someone could have refinished if they had spent a few more weeks on the job and done a few patches. Maybe you're one of the rare good ones, I don't know. But your comments don't do you any favors, that's for sure.

I love R1.

Old houses are built close to the road because there was no stream of loud traffic. Just the occasional horse or wagon. No snowblowers or plows. No advantage to being away from road and some burden.

R61 is correct. When the only snow plows were horse-driven or human-driven, houses were placed close to the road for practical purposes.

R59 lvt is very practical if you have animals or even the scourge of children. And it looks pretty great now too. so STFU. I have hardwood and me and the dogs have done a number on it an I wish I had lvt. I bet you have shitty "patina" hardwood like I see all over. It's not patina it's worn out flooring. All the while you are cutting down trees and transporting them and applying chemicals all over them so fuck sustainability.

R63, everything has its place. The reason I was calling out vinyl tile was that I've seen it used before as a cheap coverup. If it works for you, so be it. If you are lucky enough to have a home with solid wood floors, like I do, keeping them is still the best option. I am not one to care about pristine surfaces as my house is fairly rustic anyway. If your floors aren't in good shape, I'd suggest having them refinished and then putting down several coats of a high gloss sealer and then a matte finish on top. The gloss gives you the extra protection you might be looking for while the matte coat takes the newness down some. In my case, I've been in this house for almost 20 years. the floors are wide board soft pine. You're going to see dings and nicks and scratches. It's part of the character. I just use an oil-based product on them every 8-10 years, and the scratches mellow out. Keeping the animal's nails clipped helps too.

A lot of wood floors look like crap when refinished, especially if there are water/pet stains, etc. And everyone wants wide planks now. Most of the wood put down in the last 70 years is 2" wide, so not desirable.

It's a pretty old house, but like all old houses it would require a huge outlay of money for continual maintenance. I am surprised at how small the kitchen is for a late 18th century house. Considering it needs a massive amount of upgrading for anyone who isn't in love with 60s/70s retrofits in some rooms I guess the price is right.

Oh yes, that back yard needs some massive cleaning up and the first thing I'd do would be to rip all that creeping vines attached to the house. It may be pretty in the summer but that stuff is hell on a wood house.

Harvard ripped out all the ivy because it was hell on brick buildings. Nature responded by killing the stately elm trees in the Yard.

Houses like these were not meant to be lived in in the 21C.

R65, real wood floors of any width are always going to be desirable.

In the olden days, they didn’t clear the roads in winter. Snow-covered roads were maintained with large horse- or oxen-drawn rollers that packed the snow down, creating a smooth surface for sleighs. Country houses were located close to the road to maximize the amount of land in back for raising crops, pasturing animals, housing chickens, etc.

[quote] Those are books, dear.

Eww,

Books carry mildew, lice and silverfish.

[quote]Eww, Books carry mildew, lice and silverfish.

So does DL.

R68, go get the bulldozers and warn New England that you'll be over to start tearing down half their housing stock. I'll alert Europe that you'll be over as soon as you're finished to deal with their old stuff. Ya dunderhead.

R73, I'm back in time to respond. My point is that the upkeep and renovations needed for them to be sustainable, mean they were meant to be lived in in this century. The aesthetics can be replicated, but the actual materials and the way these places are built means lots of bills, lots of repairs.

Have you ever been in an old London "flat"? They smell so bad at certain times of the year.

Correction: weren't* meant to be lived in in this century

Keep your cats pissing inside the litterbox, R74? I don't know. I've been in plenty of old houses and apartments and not noticed any particularly weird smells. If you're talking about mold and mildew, any building that is allowing water to seep in where it shouldn't be is susceptible, no matter if it's 10 years old or 200. It's a matter of maintenance, like anything else. If a house has been maintained properly, it shouldn't be an issue. No need to just abandon an older house if it needs work, either. That's stupid throwaway culture at it's worst. Most old houses were structurally overbuilt from the beginning compared to the new construction of today.

[quote]Keep your cats pissing inside the litterbox, [R74]?

You must be shrooming. I'm a neat freak. I actually live in a home that's almost 100 years old, so I know that upkeep is a pain in the ass. The sturdiness of the home is never in question, but maintaining pipes and other fixtures are a pain.