396 County Road 13, Old Chatham

Dating to around 1770, this pre-Revolutionary Dutch Colonial is among the oldest surviving homes in the historic hamlet of Old Chatham. Set on 8.5 beautifully restored acres, the property feels less like a single residence than a small historic compound, complete with a 19th-century barn and carriage house, an original ice house, a saltwater pool, and even a thoughtfully repurposed 1968 Airstream serving as its pool house.

Beginning in 2017, the current owners--both architects--undertook an extraordinary restoration that respected the home's remarkable age while quietly transforming it into an exceptionally comfortable modern residence. Rather than reinventing the house, they carefully uncovered it. Original timber framing was revealed, wide-plank pine floors restored, and the proportions of the eighteenth-century rooms returned to their original clarity.

A later addition now houses a beautifully understated kitchen anchored by Wolf, Sub-Zero, and Bosch appliances, along with a sitting room and mudroom that feel entirely in keeping with the home's evolution. Upstairs, two spacious bedrooms are complemented by beautifully renovated en-suite baths, while a library occupies what was once a 1930s porch addition.

Every modern system has been thoughtfully addressed, including all new electrical and plumbing, ground-source geothermal heating and cooling, and a standing-seam Galvalume roof designed to last for generations. Even the carriage house has been outfitted with an EV charger. You'll find Marvin windows and sprayfoam insulation.

Outside, the landscape has been reimagined with the same level of restraint and care. Dry-stacked stone walls, native plantings, meandering paths, and garden terraces recall the timeless character of an English country garden while framing the property's collection of historic buildings.

What makes this home so compelling, however, isn't simply the caliber of the renovation--it's how little attention the renovation calls to itself. Every decision feels inevitable. Original beams, centuries-old brick fireplaces, luminous painted floors, and beautifully scaled rooms coexist naturally with contemporary comforts, creating a house that feels authentic rather than preserved.

It is exceptionally rare to find an eighteenth-century home that has been restored with this level of architectural discipline while remaining so warm, livable, and unpretentious. Nearly 256 years after it was built, this remarkable Old Chatham property feels as relevant today as it ever has.

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