Located on Ferry Road in the town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut this near complete antique home is being carefully dismantled than demolished. The image shown above is from the west gable end and shows the moldings, unique fan window, and clapboards which are original to the 1840 -1860 built date.

Much has been said by historians about the “shed addition”. The one shown here is original to the house. Proof is two-fold, the same hand-quarried gray granite is carried from the main house to the shed addition. Second the house frame of the shed addition is mortised into the frame of the main house.

This view shows the upper gable end moldings and overhangs that are testament to the joiners and carpenters of the era.

The crown moldings where made completely by hand and rival anything built by wood working machinery today.

The kitchen fireplace shown above is during the dismantling process. It is always exciting to see an historic building in this stage of the project.

To the right hand side of the kitchen fireplace is a bee hive bake oven and a wood box below.

 

As in the 18th century Connecticut central fireplace home, the kitchen fireplace and bee hive oven became the standard design that lasted until the advent of the cast iron wood stove.

A second floor bed chamber fireplace, although small, “took the chill off”.

The house frame is of hand-hewn oak and chestnut wood. Some secondary framing members were cut on water power saws as were lath and floor boards.

The 2" thick x 24" wide planks where nailed to the frame with large spikes. This is known as a plank-on frame house.

For details and further information owning this historic Connecticut home, please feel free to contact us.