The 1720 project house is one of many first-period homes in the town of Ipswich, but it’s only one of a few remaining homes built in the gambrel style. Architect Ben Nutter walks the exterior of the house with Kevin O’Connor pointing out the gambrel-style architectural features and providing a commentary of the atypical features such as the two chimneys and the towering second-story addition on the ell.
After he shares his plans for improvement, he heads inside for a minor exploratory demo with Charlie Silva, Tom Silva, and homeowner Bill where they hope to locate some of the timber framing from the original one-story ell.
Kevin meets up with town historian Gordon Harris for a history on first-period homes in Ipswich and to tour one built in 1717 on the oldest street in town.
Back at the house, Charlie and Kevin review the architectural plans and continue with light demo to uncover the original timber frame. If possible, it’s proposed to expose and raise the original one-story ell structure to create more headroom in the renovated space.
Original Air Date: Mar 30, 2023, Season 44; Ep. 16 23:42
Products and Resources from this Episode
- Architect: Benjamin Nutter Architects, LLC
- Side trips:
Historic Ipswich
Ipswich Museum - Expert assistance: The Trustees of Reservations