Save This Old House: A Former Wheelwright Shop with Waterfall Views for $250K
This antique home, with picturesque grounds and two outbuildings, is the real estate steal of 2020.
When you walk through the farm gates at 142 Howard Hill Road in Foster, “You just slow down,” says Michelle Keach of Coldwell Banker. “Everything stops. Your wheels stop turning.”
No wonder: The 1826 home, now on the market, once served as a full-service wheelwright shop, where locals and travelers could pull in their carriages, stable their horses and stay the night while a craftsman repaired their road-weary spokes.
Over the years, the 240-year-old John Randall blacksmith and wheelwright shop was transformed into a single-family home. The lower level — where wagons and wheels were once repaired — recently served as a workshop for a sculptor; with full-sized windows, the space is flooded with natural light. The sale includes a parcel across the street with a stream and wetlands. Two outbuildings — one, the historic stable with a dirt floor, and the other outfitted with electricity — also dot the property. The main house affords views of a waterfall on an adjacent property, as well.
Keach says she commissioned a preliminary inspection report of the home, which is an estate sale and is offered as-is. One foundation wall, off the mudroom, will need shoring up. Some floors are sloping. The chimney has only one flue, and more would be required to operate the home’s several fireplaces. The home also has peeling paint, so it would not be a candidate for an FHA or VA loan. It needs lots of little updates, says Keach, but the historical charm and quietude make the work worth it.
“You just take a deep breath and enjoy where you are at the moment,” she says.
Won’t somebody save this old house?
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142 Howard Hill Rd., Foster, is on the market for $250,000. (Photography by Michael David Spirito, michaeldavidphotography.com)
142 Howard Hill Rd., Foster, is on the market for $250,000. (Photography by Michael David Spirito, michaeldavidphotography.com)
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The 1826 home was a former wheelwright shop; also onsite is the original dirt-floor barn, where horses were stabled overnight while carriages were repaired.
The 1826 home was a former wheelwright shop; also onsite is the original dirt-floor barn, where horses were stabled overnight while carriages were repaired.
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A sitting room with built-ins and a stone hearth is located off the mudroom.
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Another view of the sitting room toward the mudroom. The rooms could use some plaster work and paint, and the floors likely require sanding to bring them back to glory. Notice the pretty twelve-pane windows and exposed beams.
Another view of the sitting room toward the mudroom. The rooms could use some plaster work and paint, and the floors likely require sanding to bring them back to glory. Notice the pretty twelve-pane windows and exposed beams.
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The kitchen could use upgrades, but the clay tile flooring is a sturdy and beautiful feature.
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Another view of the kitchen.
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This dining space is open to the kitchen.
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A second sitting room on the first floor, just off the kitchen.
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A view of the first-floor bathroom.
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Two bedrooms, adjoined by an office space, are sited on the first floor.
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One of two bedrooms on the second floor, which also boasts a large landing that could serve as a reading nook, second office or play area.
One of two bedrooms on the second floor, which also boasts a large landing that could serve as a reading nook, second office or play area.
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The second-floor bathroom.
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The lower level was most recently used as a studio space for a local sculptor.
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The former wheelwright shop, also on the lower level, offers lots of natural light.
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The home boasts views of a waterfall on an adjacent property.
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A second outbuilding on the property.
For more information on 142 Howard Hill Rd. in Foster, contact Michelle Keach at 401-678-6274 or visit coldwellbanker.com. Viewings are by appointment only.
