House Lust: An Affordable Victorian in a Quiet New England Village
Feast your eyes on the Horatio Holbrook House.
If you’ve ever dreamed of giving it all up for a big house in a sleepy New England town, here’s your chance: 5,100 square feet of charm and character, well-preserved over the years, and within walking distance to a village green, white steeple church, B and B, historical society museum and other small-town attractions.
No, it’s not in Rhode Island. Because, no: You can’t find such a place — in this condition, in a central location and, perhaps most importantly, at an affordable price — in the Ocean State. You’d have to sacrifice one of the three. It’s a harsh reality in an even harsher market.
But with the Horatio Holbrook House, named after the early nineteenth-century doctor who called it home, you can have the decadent double-door entryway and parquetry and three acres of land with a big red barn out back. You can have plush emerald green carpeting on the center hall staircase — the one and only type of carpeting that should survive past 1985, for what it’s worth — and you can have your fill of period-appropriate wallpaper, to keep or to tear down to your heart’s desire. (I’m rooting for keeps, but no one will hold your renovations against you, not even the National Register; unlike many historic places deemed worthy of preservation, this one doesn’t have any building restrictions.) Big porch. Stone courtyard. Library. Did I mention 5,100 square feet?
For the “401 or die” among us, you’d be nine minutes from the state line. Also worth mentioning: Nine minutes in the opposite direction brings you to the town of Putnam, home to the Antiques Marketplace and other “Quiet Corner” shops. The town of Thompson itself, with a new boutique hotel and a regular fall festival, is also on the cusp of becoming a tourist destination.
You’ll never be too far from us but, let’s face it, you’ll probably want to stay. Here’s your House Lust:
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366 Thompson Rd., in Thompson, Connecticut, is on the market for $385,000. It has five bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths over 5,100 square feet. (Photography via Performance Realty)
366 Thompson Rd., in Thompson, Connecticut, is on the market for $385,000. It has five bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths over 5,100 square feet. (Photography via Performance Realty)
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The Horatio Holbrook house, built for a town doctor, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Note the intricate vernacular Victorian millwork and thoughtful color palette.
The Horatio Holbrook house, built for a town doctor, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Note the intricate vernacular Victorian millwork and thoughtful color palette.
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The property sits on more than three acres with two outbuildings: a small shed and a larger lofted barn.
The property sits on more than three acres with two outbuildings: a small shed and a larger lofted barn.
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The circular porch overlooks the front yard.
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The arched entryway features double doors.
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Inside the main entry, which offers a view of the grand staircase.
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Another view of the entryway, looking toward a sitting room.
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Another sitting room on the first floor.
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The formal dining room with an incredible paned bay window overlooking the backyard.
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A view of the library with built-in bookcases and French doors to the front porch.
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One of four and a half bathrooms.
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A breakfast nook overlooks the backyard.
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The second-level landing.
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Down the rear staircase is a pantry with a door that leads to the back stone patio.
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The rear stone patio is accessible from the kitchen, the pantry and the dining room.
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The lower level of the patio offers views of the grounds.
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A red barn flanks the rear of the property.
For more information on 366 Thompson Rd., in Thompson, Connecticut, contact Frank J. Busch of of Performance Realty Group at 860-886-7805 or visit performancerealty.com.
