Remodeled Farmhouses

In Short

This architectural guide surveys early twentieth-century New England farmhouse restorations, detailing structural assessments, interior decorations, and functional modernizations. The narrative visits specific historic estates—such as Iristhorpe, Limovady, and Willowdale—to demonstrate how structural flaws can be salvaged. It explains how to add dormer windows, convert stables, install heating, and preserve original features like hand-carved mantels, pine wainscoting, and wide-board flooring. The book endures because it balances practical structural advice with a deep reverence for early American craftsmanship, guiding readers on how to modernize old homes without stripping away their historical character.

The Story

The book opens with an appreciation of early American master builders and an explanation of why old farmhouses continue to fascinate country dwellers. It establishes a practical framework for evaluating whether an abandoned or neglected dwelling is structurally sound enough to warrant restoration. The initial focus centers on critical structural elements: verifying that the roofline has not sagged, confirming that exterior walls remain strictly vertical, checking the primary sill timbers for rot, and evaluating the foundation and cellar for moisture or hidden springs.

From these structural foundations, the guide progresses into detailed architectural case studies of named estates across New England. Each estate illustrates specific design challenges and solutions. Properties like Iristhorpe demonstrate how an plain exterior can be transformed through balanced proportions, altered light distribution, white interior paint, and creative outbuilding adaptations, such as converting a stable loft into a guest suite complete with a pool room and screened veranda. Other chapters explore how to handle additions, showing how former lean-tos, rear sheds, and kitchen ells can be seamlessly integrated into expanded floor plans.

As the survey moves inward, it covers essential interior adaptations required for modern living. It outlines strategies for inserting modern hot-water, steam, or furnace heating systems without ruining historical aesthetics, offering methods like concealing radiators behind window-seat grills or built-in wall partitions. It addresses the challenge of brightening dark interiors by adding dormers, triple windows, and glass doors to create light-filled sun parlors and breakfast porches. The discussion then focuses on interior finishes, showing how stripped wall-paper can reveal hand-hewn beams, pine paneling, and broad fireplace openings containing original cranes and brick ovens.

In its final chapters, the text turns to spatial planning, flooring choices, and historic furnishings. It contrasts wide original floorboards with modern narrow-strip oak and pine, advising on subfloor preparation to prevent drafts. It also highlights the integration of period-appropriate furniture—including Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton pieces—alongside modern willow or enamelled items. The book concludes with index lists that track structural elements across all studied homes, finishing on a clear message: successful remodeling requires preserving the original integrity of the building so that every new porch, dormer, or library feels like a natural continuation of the early craftsman's work.

How It Unfolds

Assessing the structural frame The investigation begins at the foundation and roofline, testing whether sagging timbers or decayed sills render a structure unsafe. A sharp iron or knife is used to inspect hidden supports, while cellar dampness and spring water are checked to prevent future failure.

Enlarging spaces and adding light Architectural alterations broaden cramped interiors by knocking down partition walls, adding dormers to low roof slopes, and cutting French doors. Dark rooms are revitalized by introducing wide casements and concentrated window placement that maximize natural sunlight.

Concealing modern conveniences Essential twentieth-century upgrades like hot-air registers and steam radiators are fitted into old rooms without disrupting period charm. Radiators are disguised under window-seat grills or tucked into furred wall partitions, ensuring modern heating systems remain unseen.

Restoring original interior details Renovators strip away layers of old wall-paper to uncover original hand-hewn rafters, wide pine paneling, and concealed fireplace hearths. Historic elements like iron thumb latches, strap hinges, and brick bake ovens are cleaned and brought back into daily family use.

Furnishing with period authenticity The narrative concludes by detailing how to furnish restored rooms with genuine antiques or tasteful modern reproductions. Slat-back chairs, Empire mirrors, glass-enclosed sunrooms with willow furniture, and carefully laid hardwood floors work together to complete the home's historic aesthetic.

The People

Mary Harrod Northend The author and architectural observer acts as an appreciative guide throughout the study. She inspects regional farmhouses, interviews property owners, and documents successful restorations to instill a deep reverence for early master builders.

The Early Master Builders The original colonial craftsmen set the foundation of every house analyzed. Their carefully mortised timbers, heavy hand-hewn beams, steep roofs, and balanced window placements created durable structures capable of lasting through centuries of use.

The Homeowners and Antiquarians These twentieth-century occupants purchase neglected properties to turn them into comfortable summer residences or year-round homes. They clean soot-stained smokehouses, unearth covered fireplaces, collect ancestral pewter, and preserve historic character while adding modern conveniences.

Messrs. Killam and Hopkins These architects demonstrate how to adapt non-residential structures. By converting an old barn in Dover into a livable, architecturally sound residence, they show how to maintain simple original lines while fulfilling contemporary needs.

In Its Own Voice

"In the study of this work I have grown to feel a deep reverence for the old homes of our forefathers, and have come to realize as never before the care and painstaking thoroughness of the old master builders."

Writing in the preface, Northend reflects on how inspecting these restored houses shaped her view of early American craftsmanship.

"If the sill is badly-decayed, all the other members resting upon it will have been thereby weakened and the whole structure impaired."

Northend offers direct, practical guidance when detailing how to inspect a prospective farmhouse for structural decay.

"Remember always that the integral simplicity of the building must not be disturbed, and that whether it be sleeping-porch, veranda, or entrance portico, it must seem always a part of the original building..."

The author stresses the golden rule of architectural remodeling while discussing porch construction.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book explores the tension between preserving historic heritage and accommodating modern domestic comforts. It argues that early American architecture possesses an inherent dignity, structural honesty, and spatial harmony that contemporary homebuilders should respect rather than erase. Rather than treating historic farmhouses as static museum pieces, the text advocates for adaptive reuse. It demonstrates how modern plumbing, central heating, and expanded living spaces can coexist with eighteenth-century woodwork, provided changes follow the original building's logic. Underneath its practical design tips lies a broader cultural defense of craftsmanship, urging readers to value durable, hand-carved details over cheap modern convenience.

Why Read It Today

This book will appeal to restoration enthusiasts, historic preservationists, interior designers, and readers fascinated by early American domestic life. It offers a clear, immersive look into how early twentieth-century homeowners revived post-Colonial structures. Reading it feels like walking through historic New England homes alongside a knowledgeable guide who points out structural details you might otherwise miss—from the spacing of stair balusters to the subtle sweep of a gambrel roof.

The prose is precise and accessible, though modern readers should anticipate detailed technical descriptions of timber construction, floor laying, and heating options of the 1910s. The book occasionally reflects early twentieth-century upper-class lifestyles, featuring dedicated servants' wings and weekend guest suites. Yet its core principles—respecting original materials, inspecting foundations before buying, and avoiding modern stylistic excess—remain just as practical for home renovators today as when they were first written.