Contact Information:
Holly Bradman
(978) 433-9536
(978) 501-0744
Pepperell, Massachusetts - February 1, 2005 - What began as The Benjamin Spaulding House, built between 1736 and 1765, was saved from its demise when Holly Bradman and Sherrill Rosoff of The Restored Homestead rescued it. They initially learned of this house on eBay, when the person who had purchased the land wanted to build a new house on the property on which it stood and needed to tear the house down. Not wanting to see this beautiful Georgian style saltbox torn down, the women of The Restored Homestead began dismantling it piece-by-piece, with plans to re-assemble it and restore it to its original glory. They not only planned to restore the house to its original glory, but to make it even better, blending the technologies and building codes of today with as much of the original house as they could.
Today, the Benjamin Spaulding House stands proudly, showing off the original beehive oven and three fireplaces painstakingly reassembled by MPM Masonry, whose work can be seen at Old Sturbridge Village. The windows are energy efficient for today’s world, but use the original glass. The kitchen showcases gourmet appliances atop the original wide-plank pine floors from the original house. Walls are well insulated, plumbing is state-of-art, but if you look up, you’ll see the original beams from the old house. Modern materials were used to meet today’s building codes, but as much as possible, original elements of the house were incorporated.
What began as an early manor home in Townsend, Massachusetts during the time the state was still a colony governed by England under King George III, the Benjamin Spaulding House can now look forward to centuries of new life, thanks to the caring attention of The Restored Homestead.
About The Restored Homestead
Realizing they both had a love for old homes, Bradman and Rosoff combined their resources to start The Restored Homestead. They now locate old houses at risk and "determine what we can do to save them, either through restoration on-site, or by moving them," Rosoff said.
With minimal bylaws to protect old homes, developers often raze old structures because it is more profitable to use the land for multiple housing than it is to restore an old home and resell it.
The mission of The Restored Homestead is to "blend the old with new" when restoring homes, said Rosoff.
"We need to rebuild to code," she said. "When we take the walls down, we re-insulate, wire, plumb and put back the walls to look like the charm of the old."
The partners are constantly on the lookout for old glass windows, barn board and other salvage pieces from old homes to use in another restorations, said Bradman.
"We have them stored safely for a future restoration," said Bradman, who urges anyone with these types of material to contact her. "Materials like these, you just can't go out and buy. Our challenge is to restore at an affordable cost to buyers."
Bradman's background is not only in real estate, but also in interior and landscape design. Rosoff is a former administrator at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. With this combination of business, real estate and design savvy, this business is sure to succeed.
"We don't just restore homes, but try to capture the history of the house," said Rosoff. "We are willing to take it down piece by piece or lift the whole house. During restoration work, you work with what you have if it is of good quality."
"The houses don't have to be on the National Registry to be of importance," said Rosoff. "Just important to the community and the families that contributed to the community. Once we lose these homes, they’re gone." For additional information about The Restored Homestead, contact Holly Bradman (978) 433-9536, or visit their website at THERESTOREDHOMESTEAD.com
