The stunning new-old farmhouse was designed by Patrick Ahearn Architect, located in Concord, a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The goal of this project was to devise a brand new house on a historical site while making it appear like it has always been there and just undergone a complete restoration.
The backstory of this property has a unique history. It all began in April of 1775, troops of Minutemen journeyed down a cart trail lined by dry set stone walls, pastures, and farms to join the Battles of Lexington and Concord kicking off the start of the American Revolution.
Today, the route remains in its original condition. The architects had the unique and rare opportunity of designing a new home on a piece of this historic land, once owned by Ralph Waldo Emerson, amongst 300-year-old farms and family homesteads developed over time culminating with hundreds of acres of undeveloped woodland journaled by Henry David Thoreau.
The architect’s goal was to create a design parti that seamlessly blends with the rich history of the site as if it was built in the eighteenth century and added onto over time and then carefully restored.
The house is broken up into pieces to evoke a sense of implied history, break down the scale of the program, and respond to the colonial nature of the locale. The central component reads as the original farmhouse with a simple, symmetrical, three-ranked federal colonial box with Greek Revival overtones.
The assemblage suggests that the house was added onto over time including a secondary outbuilding and a stable building which were later connected by breezeways and repurposed for modern living.
Although newly constructed, during the homeowners’ first Thanksgiving, the continuing comment was, “When did you finish the restoration?” which they consider being the highest form of praise and speaks well to the approach and success of the project in terms of its scale and sense of place.
What We Love: This property has a unique history while providing the homeowners with a brand-new farmhouse with a timeless aesthetic. The exterior facade has fantastic curb appeal, inviting guests up the walkway and through a striking green door with matching shutters. Inside, living spaces are warm and welcoming with period details that nod to the property’s historical past. Overall, we think the architects did a beautiful job of creating a new home with a restored aesthetic.
Tell Us: What are your overall thoughts on the design of this home? Please share your feedback in the Comments below!
Note: Have a look at a couple of other spectacular home tours that we have highlighted here on One Kindesign in the state of Massachusetts: New England modern farmhouse delivers nature-inspired living spaces and Luminous modern home surrounded by beautiful woods in Massachusetts.
PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Premru
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